会うは別れの始まり
by xkaiistarx
Summary: The forest taught them so much, but it also taught them so little. It was funny really, how they kept surprising one another with things they should have known. Nokken Norway, Vietnam. NorViet.
1. Chapter 1

会うは別れの始まり

The forest taught them so much, but it also taught them so little. It was funny really, how they kept surprising one another with things they should have known. Nokken Norway, Vietnam. NorViet.

会うは別れの始まり-Japanese origin; lit, to meet is the beginning of parting

**I: The Pied Piper's Violin**

...

...

Slipping pass berried bushes, hunter footsteps skim their way pass stepping stones of a gurgling stream, disappearing into thick trees on the opposite side. Two pairs of padded footsteps hurry after her, vanishing into thick bushes as an oncoming breeze disguises rustling as swaying. The woods are quiet today; the bird calls more distant and cricket chirps less resounding, and that prompts the hunter to move with even quieter precision.

In the undergrowth something squeals, and an arrow lands into the space within two bushes with a sharp slicing _thunk_. A brown blur shoots out from the cover of leaves, drawn out by imminent danger, but it does not get far before a set of bone-crushing jaws clamp shut over its back and bites down hard.

The hound shakes the catch within his grasp, wagging his tail in ecstatic victory as he carried the limp creature to his master, who had bent down between the bushes to retrieve her fallen arrow.

Mouth twitching into a smile, Lien takes the hare carcass from him and gives him a good scratching behind the ears. Siew Bao (An odd name, but for as long as forever the hound has always remembered his master's littermate calling him that fondly. Soon enough his master did too, and now he only answers to that name. But her littermate is gone now, to someplace far away where neither of them could reach.) licks her fingers as she stands to pocket the kill. In silent understanding the duo leave the scene of crime, journeying deeper into forest where the air was richer with birdsong to begin the hunting anew.

They repeat until their third pheasant, where by then Lien spares a look into the sky hidden behind beech oaks. The sun is a quarter short of completing its daily semicircle, and bright light still showed no signs of dulling. With satisfaction, hunter hoists the bagful of animal game over her shoulders, and her hound leads her home. Or it would have been like this, if not for the faint echoes of violin floating in the air.

It is a particular occurrence, but not one that is entirely surprising. The forests of the North were magical, infused with enchantments since the beginning of time. It was a dangerous place, and besides the few solitary hunters with no village to call home no one dare enters its realms. It is also the reason then, why game meat and forest herbs are so sought after and traded for clothes and necessities that the hunters need to survive.

Lien is of the former, having been forced to learn the forest's comings and goings and taught how to survive and resist its magic pull since she was a child, but when the occurrences happen, she cannot help but be unnerved every time. Invisible voices laughing within trees, a shape-shifting doe leading her on a wild goose chase, luminous flowers growing in caves where light does not reach.. Always she leaves the woods with unease in her heart, reluctant to go back, but her hunts never go wrong and she must hunt if she is to feed and clothe two, so always she returns.

This day however, would change all of that.

Siew Bao sniffs in the direction of the haunting melody, wariness in his eyes. He paws at the ground, whining, and Lien knows immediately that something is wrong. There is a small pulling in her chest, tugging her insistently towards the direction of the music. Quickly she brushes away the trail of haze in her mind and takes a few steps away. The tendrils round her chest squeeze tighter and her breath hitches. In rising awareness Siew Bao barks sharply, the loudness shattering the tranquil atmosphere and echoing through the patch of woodland they were in.

For a second, Lien thinks she hears the strings waver; and in that moment of hesitation she breaks free of the enchantment. She turns and sprints her way back to the familiar hunting path, black hound snapping at her heels.

Their presence fade, and the violin does not continue its melody.

...

...

...

Lien does not hear music again until weeks later. She had been fishing by a river, far away from the woodland area from the initial incident, but the sound of strings in the air are undeniable and the melody is unmistakably the same familiar haunting tune.

Unconsciously she fidgets, and her metal hook jerks abruptly, scaring off a curious trout who had been circling the still bait for the past fifteen minutes. Lien grounds her teeth before sighing in exasperation, pulling the makeshift hook out of the water before standing up to stretch her tired legs.

There was no magic at play today, the strange haze in her mind suspiciously absent, but she cannot help wondering about the source of music and whence it came from.

Then, something invisible disturbs the calm air subtly as Lien notices Siew Bao standing up with ears pricked, sniffing the air. Her senses alert, she remain still, sharp eyes darting about to scan her surroundings. River undisturbed, birdsong present, bushes and overhanging branches swaying gently, no unnatural causes..

Brown hair pooling over her shoulder, she rotates her head uphill and spots it; along the same bank and upwind of the breeze, a stag with full grown antlers bending down near the water's edge.

With silent grace she stalks her way over, pulling out an arrow. Closer, closer, until just bushes separate the hunter from her prey. From her vantage point she sees the buck drinking, its grand posture relaxed. She draws the arrow...

And freezes at the crunching of fallen leaves.

She has no time to check for the culprit before the buck shoots away, lightning quick as it bounded into the cover of trees. There is an explosion of leaves and broken twig as Siew Bao leaps out from some bushes, wolfing in sharp staccato as he gives chase. Lien follows swiftly, boots thudding noisily against the forest floor as she tears away all resembles of discretion in her form.

An arrow whizzes past running shadows and strikes dead centre on the trunk of an old tree. Another lands inches away from the fleeing buck, startling birds into the air. Lien lowers her bow and runs faster as both deer and hound disappear behind leafy branches. In the endless green and brown, Siew Bao's barks act like a beacon for her as she followed their trail, taking note as the terrain slopes up and the spaces between trees widen considerably. Sunlight streams down easier here, but that is the least of her concern as she brings thumb and finger to her mouth to give a high-pitched whistle.

From a distance comes an answering bark, faint and muffled. Again Lien whistles, walking to the direction of the calls. Whenever they hunt boar and deer, it had always been with the element of surprise and an arrow as the finishing blow, but now the buck is out of sight, and they have covered a considerable amount of forest into unfamiliar territory. With only one dog, even the most amateur hunter can see that the hunt is lost.

Avoiding gnarled roots, she hastened her pace Northward. She is about to whistle again when the wind changes direction, bringing with it the gentle strands of violin.

Lien trips.

She falls with a surprised yelp into a clumsy heap on the forest floor, bow and quiver digging painfully into her back. Rough twig and bark rub into the hands and arms that sprung to steady her, and Lien notes vaguely with stunned resignation that she has gained wounds under the clear sound of scalar notes and complicated melodies.

The violin rings louder, and Lien notices with an unpleasant shiver that it sounded much closer now than when she was by the river. Hurriedly she stands up, ignoring the sting of her palms as curls them as she whistles again.

They need to get out of here, the violin player be damned if they realise that she is already here.

A louder bark echoes, and throwing caution into the wind, Lien runs toward it, whistling again. Her heart beat erratically as she searched for Siew Bao between the trees. Every second spent lingering heightened her fear of the violin casting its spell over her again. There is sudden rustling, and Lien spots a black tail from within a hidden thicket.

Noiselessly she runs over, calling out for her hound in harsh whispers. Siew Bao does not scamper to meet her, but his tail wags slowly, tongue lolling out of his mouth. Lien presses grazed hands into the hound's fur, and he licks her repeatedly, but he stands silent and still with ears pricked and Lien has a sinking feeling she knows why.

The violin's melody is coming from behind a thicket. With little noise Lien reaches for her bow and an arrow, moving soundlessly into the shadows of leafy branches. Siew Bao disappears into bushes away from her as she sneaks in deeper until she finds the opposite end. Crouching down, she peeks out, and instantly widens her eyes at the sight of the sparkling crystal lake.

Sunlight streams down undeterred due to a sparse canopy, and it immerses the water with an unearthly glow. Daisies and purple heather littered the ground plentifully in spots where sunlight hits the earth. In all her years of exploring the forest she had never come across a place like this before. It was almost surreal.

Lien makes to stand up, but she falters, hunter instinct growling at her to keep down. She can hear Siew Bao somewhere in the undergrowth, paw scraping restlessly at fallen leaves on the ground. Observant eyes scan the horizon one more time, and with no sign of immediate threat, she pushes her way out of the thicket, drawing herself up from her crouch warily. The bow is still in her hands, the arrow held loosely in her grip as she takes slow steps out into open ground.

The violin is still playing, its amorous notes slowing in tempo as it neared the end of its song. Lien ignores it as she moves closer to the water's edge, eyes flickering nervously as she took in the crumbling stone monument that flanks a third of the lake's dimensions. The water surface twinkles at her and hesitantly she bends down to dip the tip of her fingers into it. Droplets tainted with dirt and blood trickle down her palm as she brings her hand back to herself, noting with quiet unease that there were no magic properties as far as she had been taught to tell.

"You are like a doe, aren't you?"

Golden eyes start, and Lien stumbles away from the lake, her knuckles turning white as the grip on her bow tightens, the sudden hum of enquiry pushing her rattled nerves into overdrive. There is a man, no, creature standing in the middle of the lake. -Impossible, because the lake looked to be metres deep, but only his feet were submerged.- Even though foreign and strange there is no mistaking the nobility of his clothes; loose silky robes that fell elegantly into the waters below.

He was fair-haired and navy eyed, eyes a deep swirling whirlpool of secrets, but what catches Lien's attention is not his amorous looks, but rather the violin and bow in his hands, its strings still vibrating from its last note.

"_Nøkk_.." she breathed his name as the creature started walking towards her, his serpentine movements causing ripples throughout the water. How could she be so foolish? It is the Nokken that lures the humans to them, not the other way round. Shame and horror ebbs through her still body as she chided herself for even entering the thicket, ignoring her warning instinct when usually she would have done otherwise. Her eyes keep track of the spreading ripples, dread drowning any previous emotions as she thought desperately for a way out.

She does.

The Nokken had barely taken another step before he sees the human stand abruptly. He stops in kind, curious of her reaction...before blinking in surprise as she turn-tailed and ran back the way she came from. He hears the harsh force of branches being pushed apart and barking before all returns to serene silence. He blinks again, momentarily confused.

The forest, he notes with returning amusement, remained undisturbed by their cacophonous leave, cricket chirps and soft breezes filling in the awkward silence that the intruders left in their wake. The Nokken stared musingly before turning towards an alcove of trees where a pair of antlers peered out, the creature finally emerging into the open.

A lone buck returns his stare, lowering its head in reverence to him before crossing the clearing to reach the other side. Quietly it disappears behind the trunk of a tree, heading for a destination unknown. Alone once more, the Nokken lowers his gaze to his violin and sighs inaudibly.

...

...

...

Embarrassment and fear keeps Lien away from the woods for many days. When she had ran, she had betted her life on the tactic of surprise to buy her precious time to escape. She had not expect it to work, but it did, and it was only when the aftermath hit her back in the sanctuary of her small cabin had she realised that she got lucky; she had feared the echoing sound of violin pulling her back in. There had been none.

Now she spends the hours moping around her house, practising her archery and gathering what little edible food grew at the edge of the forest, waiting for time to tick by. But before long rational thought overcomes her, and she finds herself adorning hunter garb again when meat stocks grew low.

The forest is a symphony of voices when she chooses to stray from the usual route. She does not go far pass the gurgling stream today, instead focusing on catching smaller game. Siew Bao sniffs and leads, and by sunset he brings her two skinny rabbits to join her quail in the pile of meagre spoils. Lien yawns, disappointed but unsurprised, and calls it a day.

Hunter and hound trudge towards the sound of bubbling water in companionable silence, and Lien finally lets down the carefully constructed guard she had put on all day. But in the moments that follow, she would wished that she hadn't. There is a dizziness in her head, irritating her since late afternoon, aching and throbbing and unsettling. A bark sounds beside her, and Lien shakes her head slowly. She wasn't aware she had stopped. Strange, her bow is on the forest floor too. She must have dropped it.

She can hear Siew Bao's barks turn louder as she closes her eyes, struggling against the binding haze beneath the hoods of her eyelids. Something tugs at her heart. There is a faint melody in the clearing now, unbeknownst to her, and the black hound whines softly as he watches his master succumb to the spell, walking into the opposite direction away from their home.

He barks several more times, picking up the fallen bow as he ran to her, prodding her leg in a futile attempt to get her to stop. The bag of game loosens and falls off her back, spilling onto the forest floor. Siew Bao whines, distressed, but he does not go back to fetch it, adjusting the bow in his mouth as he resumes staying with his master as she moved with an unsteady gait through the trees.

Darkness has uncovered the blanket of stars in the night sky by the time they reached the thicket, and the faint sounds of distant wolf howls and unknown critters walking through the undergrowth keep the hound silent as he followed his master's lead. The hound tries his best to push and pull bushes so that thorns do not trouble his human; with clever manoeuvring he pulls the branches apart with the bow in his mouth before running though and letting go, avoiding the painful whiplash of sharp branches.

The music diminuendos, drawing to a close, and immediately hound throws the bow aside to step between his dazed master and the creature by the lakeside, snarling warningly. In the darkness, the crystal lake glows luminously, casting warped shadows over both Nokken and hound. The former lowers his violin and takes a step out of the lake, moving cautiously forward.

Siew Bao growls, but there is uncertainty and unwillingness to follow through with his threat as he starts to back up to his rousing master. Lien lets out a groan as her feet gives in, sprawling her on both knees, and the hound finally breaks eye contact with folded ears to nuzzle his master worriedly.

The hunter blinks tiredly, bringing a hand to her head as the fog dissipated from her conscience. With bleary eyes she presses the other shaking hand onto her loyal hound and ignoring his cold nose, tries to take in her surroundings. Siew Bao barks and growls again, and with widened eyes, Lien notices the darkened surroundings and the figure of a familiar Nokken staring down at her.

It is instinct that acts when she whips the hunting sword from her belt and makes a sudden lunge at him, half delirious in her muddled state, and it is instinct that makes him drop his precious violin to grab her wrists, twisting the blade out of her hands easily as he pushes her half slumping body backwards until she is leaning awkwardly against air. Lien drops her head against him, breaths coming in quick gasps, and the Nokken picks her up with ease and sidesteps, dodging a snarling hound as he puts distance between dog and master.

Yelping, Lien jabs elbow into flesh and hears a grunt, but foreign hands do not loosen their grip as they hoist her body into a position where she cannot fight back. She hears the splashing of water and widens her eyes as she watches the Nokken takes steps back into the safety of the lake. The water level does not rise above his feet even as the lake's depth grew deeper the further he moved away, and she struggled to contain her obvious panic as she flailed helplessly in his grip.

His clothes are stained with the scent of fresh rain and something exotic, cooling to the touch and lulling her to slumber. Siew Bao is wailing now, growls reduced to quiet begging noises as paws scrapped the ground, trying in vain to reach his master who was now in the arms of a dangerous stranger standing metres away from shore. Fisting her hands into his robes and vest, Lien pushes weakly, swallowing hard as she tries to speak.

"Why?" She mumbles. _Why didn't you kill me then? Why aren't you killing me now? Why are you doing this?_

The Nokken's eyes drops to look at her and she sees him contemplating something in his eyes. "You left without saying goodbye," he finally murmurs out, and even in her sleepy state she is able to muster enough energy to look at him incredulously. The Nokken simply resumes gazing at her with such intensity that she has to look away.

"Put me down." She says angrily, both mortified and terrified as she drops her gaze from dull blue. Her pride is wounded, but she can do nothing when she is at the mercy of a being who can drown her if he so pleases.

"If you promise to calm your pet and not run away."

Lien shoots him another tired glare, but the Nokken is firm and she is exhausted; she cannot run even if she wanted to, so she gives a half-hearted grunt in consent as she grudgingly released the tight grip on his robes.

The clearing is tense as the Nokken nears the water's edge, hovering uncertainly as Siew Bao bared teeth at him with hackles raised, unsheathed claws dislodging dirt into the gleaming waters. Lien strains to keep her eyes open, stretching an arm so that her fingers brushes the top of his head. At her touch, the hound calms instantly, although it keeps angry eyes levelled at the creature holding his owner. Slowly Lien soothes the canine as the Nokken places her limp body onto the soft grass. With heavy fingers she guides the latter's hands until it lays flat on the hound's back.

When Siew Bao does not growl, curled up at her side in similar exhaustion, she sighs in drowsy satisfaction, dropping her hands and fluttering her eyes closed. Cool fingers brushed stray hairs away from her face, but she jerks away and opens blurry eyes warningly. The Nokken stares at her quietly, having retrieved his violin in some period of time when she had her eyes closed.

"My name," he says softly as sleep takes her tired form away, "is Lukas."

...

...

...

"My name," she said irately, "is Lien. Could you please let me go?" The sky was cloudy when the hunter finally woke up, disorientated and stiff from lying on the soft grass. Jerking minutely in panic, calculative golden eyes scan the clearing as she tried to calm the beating of her heart. The events of last night replays choppily in her mind, leaving her flustered and angered, which brings her here, glaring at the Nokken who had appeared shortly after she woke up, now watching while she gathered her scattered belongings.

"I'm not stopping you from leaving." There was a barely visible smirk on his face as he watched her move, and Lien has to stop herself from throwing a sharp retort back in his face. Smug bastard, he knows she cannot leave; he would only need to cast the enchantment for her to return.

Something splinters in her clenched fists, and she looks down with surprise, the arrow she had picked up split into two at the force of her grip. Why was she so angry when she should be afraid? Carefully she gathers the broken pieces and hides them from prying eyes, dropping them into the quiver quickly with the rest of her arrows.

The undergrowth shivers, and Lien looks up to see Siew Bao emerging from the thicket, a squirrel hanging limply in his mouth. Placing it down in front of her, the hound lifts his head to commence glaring at the now frowning Nokken by the waterside.

"Why does it do that?" Lukas gestures to the dead squirrel in distaste and Lien can't help but feel slightly smug at being the cause of that disgruntled look.

"Because I trained him to."

"Why?" Midnight blue orbs stare at her searchingly and Lien struggles to hold his gaze steady. There was something about his stares that made her feel exposed. It was discomforting and so borderline mesmerising it became unsettling. It wouldn't surprise her if the Nokken himself was aware of it too, and is currently using it to his advantage.

"I am a hunter. It is what we do." Her shoulders lift to form a small shrug as she stretched an arm to stroke the hound. "We kill to feed ourselves so that we can survive."

The bag of game from yesterday is missing, and Lien concurs that she might have most likely dropped it. A sigh leaves her mouth as she drops the squirrel into the spare bag she had brought along. They would have to hunt again.

"Where are you going?" _Have you forgotten what I can do?_ Stoic eyes watch her as she slung quiver and bag over her shoulder. Siew Bao wags his tail, newfound eagerness in his steps as he realised that they were leaving the lake.

"To hunt." She was going home, but he did not need to know that.

His reply does not come instantly, but Lien is not convinced that she has won. He is of the fae; if anything, he would be the one playing the winning move. Sure enough, as her hands brushed against an outstretching branch of the thicket he calls out softly before she can leave.

"Will you stay if you have game?"

Only birdsong answers the clearing. Twisting her head back Lien regarded the Nokken inquisitively. He had his head tilted slightly to the side, looking at her in rapt thoughtfulness, mirroring her very emotion. There was something peculiar in his gaze, and that prompts her to lower her hand hesitantly.

It happens in a moment. A blink of an eye, and Lukas disappears, ripples folding out and distorting liquid surface. Lien blinks, rubs her eyes, blinks again; he is still gone. She sighs and hovers by her place, pondering. In the end she turns around, and the forest sways in tandem as she walked back to the side of the lake where the Nokken once stood. Siew Bao, noticing his master's change of heart, loses interest with the thorny bushes, trotting away instead to watch butterflies flitting over daisy stems.

Sparing glances at the occupied hound, Lien looked back into the gleaming waters, half expecting the Nokken to burst out of the water at any moment. Like salmon during summer, she thinks, restraining her amusement and turning the snicker that had escaped her throat into a trembling quirk of her lips. Her reflection stares back at her in the water, and Lien's smile drops slowly as she notices the worried lines on her face. There were leaves in her messy hair, grass stains on her pants and side. There was a bruise on her cheek too (she doesn't remember getting that) and, she notes mutely as she brings her palms facing up, the cuts across them are still not fully healed, having been reopened from careless endeavours again and again.

Since when had she start getting so negligent in looking after herself?

Another reflection joins her forlorn looking one, and immediately Lien refocuses on the present, curling fists and looking up, hiding weaknesses from the human-like being in front of her. It must be the ripples distorting reality too, because for a instant she thinks she sees wistfulness in his expression. (Why would something like him feel wistfulness anyway?)

With clothes suspiciously dry, Lukas levelled his stare at her, and with no preamble whatsoever, deposit a metre long fish into awkwardly placed hands. Lien does not recognise the species, but still her eyes widened as she tried not to stumble under sudden weight placed on unprepared arms.

"What..is this?" She is vaguely aware that she is stuttering, and a red flush rises further up her face once the image of her unkempt appearance returned from her thoughts to mock her. Immediately she pushes the picture away, brooding on the fact that a lake as such could hold fish like this, that is, if the Nokken got the fish from here at all. White meat like this cannot be kept long, but she is certain that Siew Bao and her would be able to feast tonight. Despite her mistrust of the Nokken, she is thankful and pleasantly surprised.

"Now you will stay?" The Nokken looked mighty pleased with himself even if his tone suggested otherwise, and Lien does not want to admit that in this light he looks less harmful and more human. _Then again_, the rational part of her mind whispered, _this is exactly what he wants you to think_.

"Is this..not enough?" Lukas' smile drops at the absence of any reply and he turns to survey something invisible in the clear waters that she cannot see. "Should I get something bigger?"

Slowly, she shook her head, cradling the fish close to her. This...was going to be a very long morning.

...

...

* * *

A/N

This is what happens when you put characters that both have difficult but ultimately similar personalities together; your fic spirals into word vomit hell. Hahaha this AU was the death of me. I'm never doing something like this again..maybe. I don't know dammit.

Siew Bao is a Phu Quoc ridgeback, a native Vietnamese breed of hound, used for carting, escort, hunting, and as a guard dog throughout its history due to its impressive appearance and muscular physique. His name is a combination of Cantonese/Chinese. Siew (Cantonese) meaning small, and Bao (Chinese) meaning bun.

His name came from another discussion I had with a friend. I hope they don't mind me using it, because it was actually going to be used for something else. I can't help it though haha 'Siew Bao' is such a cute name. (It's a food name too.) A lot of things in here were inspired by that one friend actually. The music she introduced to me especially influenced the direction I took the plot to an extent. The interactions with Nor and Viet for example, were written to the background of a certain game's ost.

Norway and Vietnam are two of the seven hetalia characters I favour and related to, but ultimately their personalities make it so hard to write short romantic works for either of them. Make them both the love interests and welp, good luck defining 'short'. By right the story would have ended somewhere around here, over four thousand words, but since development is a must, well there you go. Next chapter coming soon...!

**Edited as of 28 December 2015**: The cover art is done by my old jiji friend xero on tumblr! (Bless ya you old man) He's done a couple more fanart on Norway and Vietnam on his tumblr art page! (Link provided on my page.) Please do check him out!


	2. Chapter 2

**.**

**II: Hades and Athena**

...

...

"And here I thought I would have to call you back." Artist fingers halt their plucking of strings as their owner look up to watch a familiar hunter and hound emerge from the thicket. The latter makes a beeline for the lake, and subconsciously the Nokken takes a step back into the safety of water as brown eyes glance at him in wary contemplation before flicking away in disinterest, bending down to lap at water.

"I'm not your dog." Lukas shifts his gaze to watch the hunter instead, who had dumped the bag of game unceremoniously on the grassy floor. It is a sharp retort, one of the many she has given him several times, and also one that leaves him reeling, desperate to prove something to her. But as always he says nothing, riding out the pang in his chest as he steps out from the water, naked feet flattening soft grass.

The ache grows worse as he approaches her; because he knows why she is upset, but he is selfish, having lived alone for years. He is the only one of his kind in the forest, and if not for the occasional urgent or important message being relayed by the various fae, the imps and fairies leave him well alone in his solitude. The hunter had been the first human he knew of that had been charmed by his ability, and also the first that had stumbled upon his clearing. (But that was a lie wasn't it? There had been one before, five winters ago. So young; just having reached the age of manhood. And so alike her too..) In this isolation, is it really that selfish for him to yearn for her companionship?

"No you aren't." Lukas replies after careful consideration, trying to get his voice sounding sincere. It must have work somewhat, because he catches Lien flicking her eyes over to him before glancing away quickly.

They had agreed to a silent equilibrium on that day many weeks ago. Most days after her hunts, she would come to the lake to see him, and in exchange, he would not place her under the spell of his magics. If her hunts -having been cut short- were unsuccessful, he would provide her with additional game in the form of fish, much to her chagrin. Honestly, he can see why. She has nothing to gain, and is but his prisoner, bounded to him because of a deal she did not have a choice in making. Even the help he offers would just add to the humiliation on her part. She might hate him, very much in fact -it wouldn't surprised him at all-, but the very thought brings a lump to his throat.

He doesn't want to be hated.

The clearing is heavy with silence as Lien continued to stare at the ground. The hunt had been good today, Siew Bao having caught her two pheasants while she shot down three. The extra meat would be salted and kept, or sold to traders or richer villagers that wanted a taste of fancier meat down by the old windmill an hour's walk from the forest, two from her home. Perhaps she should go tomorrow, if only to avoid being with him.

Instinctively her hand curled tighter around the expertly carved wood of her bow as she expelled breath heavily. It would do her no good to be angry. The stringing of violin tickles her ears gently, and she shifts her head to the side to watch the Nokken begin to coax music out with graceful fingers. The melody is a slow and lovely one, pulsing with emotions and fervour, and Lien wonders how a quiet and stoic creature such as he can be capable of such passion.

Her heartbeat moves in sync with the _Andante_ tempo and she feels startled the moment she notices the small relaxed smile forming on her lips. Carefully she schools back her emotions, before sneaking another glance at the Nokken. Lukas' eyes are closed, concentration evident on his face as his body stood still. There is a smile on his face, barely a trace of it, but she spots it still, taken aback at its genuineness and how at peace he looks.

Like this, half standing in the sun with the lake sparkling behind him, he looked ethereally beautiful. Beams of sunlight shone on parts of his robes and soft blonde hair, his head shifts subtly, and she notices a floating curl of hair hovering close behind his ear. A strange discovery, but she finds that it adds on to his unworldly charm.

She looks away before her breath can catch and stands up quietly so as to avoid disturbing him, sneaking across the clearing to reach her hound, who had then stopped chasing the departing butterflies amid the clumps of purple heather and wildflowers to listen to the violin's song. She scratches the back of his ears, and Siew Bao makes a low sound of pleasure as he rolls over, sending daisy petals flying in the wind.

There is a calm and tranquillity in the clearing that Lien has never experienced before, and when the ringing of violin slows and recedes until only peaceful silence remains, she opens her eyes (Since when had she close them again?) to find dull blue eyes peering into hers.

(The first thing she notices is that his smile is gone. Why?)

"Did you like it?" His voice is slightly lower than usual, and she knows he is trying not to break the peaceful atmosphere between them. When she shrugs silently, eyes avoiding him, he chuckles, a gentle husky lilt that makes the surrounding trees shiver. "You were swaying." _I saw you._ His smile is tiny, but it widens a fraction when he sees pink rise to the tip of her ears, her eyes darting to look at anything that wasn't him.

"It was good," Lien finally nods, tight-lipped but with admiration present in her answer, and Lukas finds a warm feeling blooming in his chest. Relief pours through him, and he finds himself blurting out his next words before the weight of them sinks properly in his mind.

"I could teach you."

He does not know how to react when the hunter snaps her eyes up to meet his, and disquiet starts to creep onto him as he watched her shake her head frantically. How could she resist? Didn't she realise? A Nokken's musical gift is their everything. To share and impart that gift without payment is the ultimate act of trust and-

Unconsciously he gripped the neck of his violin tighter, chiding himself for his foolishness. This went far beyond what he would consider an attempt to bridge their trust. He was not supposed to be this rash. He was never this rash. But more striking was how quickly she turned down his offer as though his gift meant nothing to her, as though she could not believe him; would not believe him.

There was that pang in his chest again.

He is walking towards her before he can stop himself, fisted hands hidden beneath the flowing fabric of his robes. There is alarm in her eyes, but the hunter makes no move to break his gaze even as she stiffens up considerably.

_How can I convince you?_

He stops when he notices her fidgeting with one foot backing away hesitantly, piercing her instead with determined eyes. "Why?"

"...I'm more of a flute person." She doesn't know why that slipped out of her mouth like it did then, easy and fluid like it was the most natural thing to say, but Lien immediately regrets it when dull eyes glimmer with newfound interest. "I,..I played the flute, before. So, you don't have to teach me any music. It's fine." Yes, this was fine. She doesn't want to think about what line she has crossed to make him wish to teach her his magic.

"Oh? So you think your skill with the flute can match my violin and I, is that it?"

Even with malice absent in his tone, Lien feels her breath catch at his query, horror embedding itself into her bones. Dread threatens to drown her with the mistake she had uttered. "That's, that was not what I meant." Her voice comes out strained and tensed, but the Nokken merely shook his head musingly, curiously gleaming from his normally dull eyes.

"I want to see it." A short pause, then; "I want to hear you play it."

Inwardly, golden orbs narrow in wariness. Again, he has managed to surprise her with his mannerisms, and that is what frustrates her. It has been weeks; she should have known better by now. But he was different from everything she had been prepared to expect.

Her eyes flutter shut, thinking. Apart from old sentiments and dusty memories, her flute was not of anything significant, and unless there was a part of this faerie's legend that relates to instruments not belonging to them that she has not been taught, Lien doubts Lukas can hurt her or Siew Bao. It would do her no harm to pick up the flute again. Besides, the flute had been the only skill _he_ had been able to gift her besides the ways of the hunt..

It has been a long time since she has last thought of _him_. Maybe she could relive the memories a little.

"Lien?" The Nokken calls her name and immediately she knows that she has taken too long to answer.

"Yes, Y-..?!" The hunter bites her inner cheek before she can continue, flinching as her teeth slit carelessly across lip to draw blood. Lukas makes an alarmed sound and steps closer, and she realises too late that he is too close; his fingers twitching hesitantly over her jaw as he hovered, unsure on whether to touch.

She dwarfs him by two-thirds a head, and that is made even more apparent when he is standing so close to her, their clothes brushing at their proximity. The silk of his robes tickle her twitching hands as she turned away from him, heartbeat thumping with turmoil and tension as she muttered that she was fine. (There was no urge to sic him with her hunting knife. Lien doesn't want to know what that meant for their relationship either.) The Nokken looked unconvinced, but with a warning grunt from the watching hound he slinks back quietly, hands dropping to hide behind his flowing robe.

Wiping the blood of her lips, Lien nods as she hastily gathers her belongings, moving closer to Siew Bao at the same time. How could she lose herself? She must be deluded if she really thought that the Nokken sounded like _him_ for a moment. Another mistake; how many is she making today?

"Alright." She doesn't want to look into his eyes. It would probably be another mistake.

"What is?" Concern is evident even within his monotone timbre, and Lien sighs quietly when she realised that it didn't matter whether she was to look at him or not. She would be affected as she is.

"I will attempt to find my flute, and show it to you someday." _Maybe_, she thinks with growing uncertainty once the words leave her mouth.

...

...

...

She does find it, days later in its wooden case hidden in the back of a cabinet where she stored what little keepsakes she had. The case was weathered, its surface scratched and edges blunt, but the polished wood of the flute inside remained as pristine as ever. Lien does not like to think that she is an dishonourable person, but the incident with the Nokken's proximity leaves her hesitating. During their next few meetings she brushes off his gentle prodding and does her best to stay clear from any mentions of the flute.

She places the case on the top of the cabinet next to the hearth of her hut, and for even longer it remains untouched and unnoticed as she goes about her chores, cleaning carcasses and working out trading prospects as she sprinkles salt and wraps meat for trade or for storage of her own.

The door to her tiny hut opens and shuts daily, and most of the time she returns with arms full; fresh game, firewood, berries, a playful black hound in her arms. Seldom does she leave with something both dog and master would never see again. Trading meats are of course, the exception.

One evening Lien enters her hut carrying a small bag containing salt, bread, and two sets of heat-holding wool-spun clothes when her eyes spot the wooden case resting modestly on the unassuming cabinet. She pauses, unsure, but in a minute she has dropped the bag gently on the small eating table to pick up the wooden case.

Back when two were four, brother had taught sister the basics as well as a few songs on the delicate woodwind. Now it was the only thing she had left of him, and Lien wonders if she could ever hope to replicate the sweet sound of graceful harmonies that had echoed within the hut and through the forest on their childish runs so many years ago.

Siew Bao follows her outside to sit on the musty wooden stairs, watching eagerly as clumsy fingers fumble to cover finger holes and remember forgotten positionings. Lien places her mouth close to the bamboo blow hole, an indecisive frown painting her lips, but any expression remaining melts away when she breathes in through her stomach and blows.

The first time is too airy, the pitch of the flute either too high or low as her lips struggled to find the correct tightness that brings both effectiveness and comfort. The second time is too clumsy, her fingers agile and experienced with arrows and swords but stiff and foreign on smooth bamboo. The notes come up sticky and slurred, echoing quietly and dissipating before reaching the surrounding trees, and Lien parts from the flute with disappointment. The third time is played to a slower tempo, hunter focusing on notes and accuracy instead rather than emotion.

Siew Bao, with head resting on the worn wooden ground next to his master snaps up at the familiar tune of five notes. (One count, two half counts, another count and a drawn note; how could he ever forget. It was his childhood lullaby.) His tail starts wagging as the memories course through him, hazy but definite (when two were four), and Lien knows that it is with nostalgic happiness when he presses against her side and nuzzles.

Dropping her pursed lips, Lien absentmindedly brushes her tongue against them to loosen the discomforting stiffness. The wind blows steadily, causing branches of leaves to moan. Shadows spill like ink on the forest floor, spreading further as bruises pepper the orange sky. With a sigh she stands up and heads into the warmth of the hut, Siew Bao padding in quickly after her, paws cluttering against floor and air as he clamoured for the sound of a now silent instrument.

Lien returns the flute to its case. But the day after, and the ones after that, she can be heard practising. Autumn comes soon enough, and Lien starts wearing the thick leather coat stored at the back of her small clothing closet when she goes out for hunts. For a week she comes back lucky with plump rabbits and raccoons. These she skins and preserves until she is certain that they have enough meat to tide them over winter. Once that is done she turns to firewood, collecting piles and placing them in the adjacent shed beside the cabin to shelter them from potential moisture.

The weather gets colder, and there comes a time where Lien cannot hunt at all. These periods she usually spends close to the hut; sharpening knifes or practising archery. This time she practises her flute with zeal. Her visits with the Nokken do not change and with the passing of seasons she sees no reason to stick with their appointed schedule. She comes more often, earlier, with less venom in her barks, less misgivings and reluctance.

One day she reaches the thicket and realises that she had bypassed her usual routine and hunting routes entirely. It was early morning, and the realisation leaves her bearings floundering. Since when had she-

Lien shakes her head and drops her hand from an overhanging branch. He had been an alien intrusion in her life, uprooting all her previous views on the creatures of this forest. She has not forgotten what he could do to her and yet..

And yet.

By her feet, Siew Bao shuffles curiously. With a puzzled whine he pokes his muzzle into the thicket, sniffing the red foliage before looking back at her, flicking his ears in earnest. Subconsciously Lien takes a step back, shaking her head. There is an ache in her chest now, foreign and burning. A part of her labels it as longing, but that is quickly dismissed and washed away when the crunch of leaf litter beneath her feet alerts her dormant hunting instinct.

She stops moving, observant eyes looking at her hound who had his ears raised attentively. Subtly she grinds a foot hard into the ground and hears inaudible crackling. The forest is silent, shedding leaves over the duo as they stand still. One minute, five minutes. Lien isn't sure what she is waiting for, but every muscle is telling her to remain still. Siew Bao sniffs at the air, and Lien watches his hackles rise.

Soft crunching reaches her ears, and Lien twists her head until she sees a pair of bare branches peeking out from behind a tree. Her eyes follow the branches, watching them disappear behind the tree trunk. An almost imperceptible crack, and her hands twitch involuntarily as she watches branches morph into antlers when the creature steps out of the camouflage to meet her gaze.

With slow and calm moments she reaches for her bow and arrow, only to freeze when she grapples air. Retaining her composure, she turns around to search for it, only to find a wooden case in lieu of her weapons. A scorning voice in her head reminded her that she must have forgot to take them with her as she left home earlier, and Lien mutters a curse as she stands up to her full height, making no more moves to hide her presence.

The stag blinks amber eyes at her, and Lien wonders if it had gotten lost from its herd. Deer herds roam aplenty in the forest, but she had never once seen more than two together. What stray deer she has caught before was always put down to luck, especially when all she had was her cunning and Siew Bao's persistence in chasing. That said, Lien isn't sure if she is incredibly lucky to come face to face with a fine specimen of deer this late in autumn, or if she is the opposite because the one time she meets one it is at the absence of her bow.

Siew Bao growls, low and deep, and before Lien can stop him he is sprinting forward, baying as he makes a running leap to the bark. Leaves crackle and crunch as the buck flees, but instead of heading away from them as she was sure it would, it ran in a wide arc, shaking off the hound as the latter slammed into a pile of red-yellow leaves, doubling back as it ran pass her.

Everything moved in slow motion. A rush of wind hits her face lightly, and Lien glimpses a white patch of fur peeking out behind the buck's left ear before it leaps into the safety of some obstructive saplings and brambles that bordered the side thicket. The leaf pile explodes, Siew Bao barking as he sprinted after the scent he was trained to follow. He throws himself into obstructing bushes, yelping as fur gets caught on thorns, and with sudden alarm Lien breaks out of her stupor and whistles after her hound, goosebumps marring her skin as she pushed herself into the midst of the thorny brambles.

Needles prick her arms and legs through the sturdy fabric of her clothes as she opened a way into the clearing for her hound, and Lien winces as she feels skin on her hands begin to tear and itch. Siew Bao dashes out with a painful whimper and she grunts as she tugs free of the stubborn bushes, stumbling in sight of the stone lake.

Her hands stung, but she ignores them in favour of checking the black hound for injuries. Brushing leaves and untangled thorns from the panting dog, Lien holds him still as he whines and sniffs the clearing confusingly. The buck was gone, but in its place was someone else equally as commanding that Lien isn't sure she prefers, especially with the current conflict regarding him in her mind.

Footsteps stop in front of the jumpy canine, and Lien feels her breath catch as a pale hand lowers to touch Siew Bao's head slowly. The hound grunts, tail flicking erratically, but he stills when Lien starts to croon to him, hands sweeping the side and back in gentle soothing strokes. The Nokken's hand mimics her slowly, moving in light up and down actions down the hound's head to its base of his neck, and Siew Bao releases a contented rumble from the back of his throat, relaxing with a drawn-out sigh.

Wheat-coloured grass rustles as Lukas sits, sending a small cloud of dandelion florets into the wind, the fabric of his robes pooling around him in an haphazard circle, a portion of which grazed her covered knee. There is an absentminded smile on his face, one that Lien does not notice until after she guides his hand to the back of Siew Bao's ear, showing him out to scratch it. She turns her head away before ceasing her humming, retracting her hands back to her lap as she blinked dazedly at the sudden surge of self consciousness.

Lukas makes a soft noise as Siew Bao licks his fingers affectionately, shifting his head to meet her eyes and suddenly Lien can't breathe, can't think as he looks at her with so much gentleness her chest aches. It is barely a trace of a smile on his lips, but dull blue eyes are alight with more intensity then she has ever known, and she fears he can actually see her pulse jumping.

Siew Bao rests his head on her lap, rumbling in pleasure, but Lien does not notice, does not pay any heed because navy blues have captured her fully, brought her at the mercy of a creature she isn't quite sure she can harm if it came down to it anymore. Cool fingers touch her burning palm, and Lien flinches at the throbbing of her swollen hands, moving them further away from Lukas' gaze. Undeterred, he reaches out again, curling his fingers over her wrists gently and pulling them closer to him.

Scrutinising the raised, pink pinpricks dotting her skin, he runs a thumb over the swollen spots gently, frowning when Lien flinches again, pulling free of his grip with more force than necessary. Quickly she nudges Siew Bao off her and stands up, heading to the lake to dunk her hands into the water.

Autumn has turned the lake waters freezing, and the hunter berates herself immediately as the penetrating chill numbs her hands painfully. Retracting her hands quickly, she wipes them off on her tunic, cradling them to her chest as she turns to regard the Nokken, who had in that time stood up to watch her quietly.

"What's wrong?"

There was rejection in his voice, dripping like hot candle wax to burn her skin. She looks at him sadly (and sees the same raw vulnerable longing brimming in his eyes) but does not answer. The clearing is heavy with silences, and Lien knows that she should never had come. With little urging she prompts her hound to the entrance of the thicket and crosses the dull green clearing of dandelions silently, flicking gold away from navy as she pretends not to hear the sharp inhale from him as they pass each other.

There are unspoken words in the air that neither of them could say, cannot bear to say (because they don't understand and they are so _so_ afraid.), so he does not stop her and she does not falter as she leaves. The afternoon sky is a dusky hue as she makes her way listlessly down the path to home. Siew Bao is equally quiet as he leads, and for once Lien wishes that her partner in crime wasn't so in tune with her feelings and emotions.

A lone violin wails between orange trees when her ears finally picked up faint gurgling in the distance, and Lien has to steel her jaw when the sorrowful mourning tune prickles her heart like a million brambles.

(She would give anything to be prick by a million brambles, if only not to feel this ache.)

Winter comes, and she does not visit him. Neither does he call for her.

Sitting by the fire, Lien hears the strong winds billowing outside and feeds the crackling flames more wood. Siew Bao curls up next to her on the soft drab carpet and closes his eyes as she pulls out the wooden flute and begins to play.

...

...

...

The stars were bright in the sky this night, glinting brilliantly from within distant nebulas; bright greens and pinks and oranges. The Nokken, however, remained oblivious to the breathtaking sight. His head was lowered as he plucks the strings of his violin gently. (One count, two half counts, another count and a drawn note. It was a new piece he was working on.) The air was uncomfortably warm, almost humid, and the Nokken's mouth twitched slightly in irritation as his fingers fumble with unusual heaviness to catch notes and follow tempo.

The slight splash of water breaks the heavy concentration as his feet shifts on the water surface, and Lukas clenches his jaw as the violin bow swerves abruptly and screeches to a halt, cutting off a strangled note with a high pitched shriek. For a long minute there was silence as the Nokken tried to calm his agitated breathing, his grip on polished wood unnaturally tighter than normal.

Distracted eyes flutter half open as the wind howls fiercely, filling the silence with its voice (_his_ voice) and Nokken watches with an impassive exterior as his concentration breaks away, sharp flurries of white slicing through the sky and causing cracks to appear and mar the smooth darkness.

The nebula dissipates as numbness seeps through the warmth of his sanctuary. A jolt of want shoots through the deepest part of his being, and Lukas almost wills himself to bring the lie back, if only so he could soak in the false summer once more. He restrains himself though, watching as summer turns to winter and the clear night sky turn to cloudy grey.

The wind howls again, rattling through frost bitten trees to enter the clearing. A gust of wind blows harshly on the semi-frozen lake, and the Nokken tenses as the lake shakes, savage ripples ripping across the water, droplets pelting on his robes as icy water sloshed out of the lake. The violin was quickly lifted out of the way, and water drips down dry robes in failed frustration. Cloth flutters violently as the wind laughs spitefully, bitterly, but the Nokken barely blinked as the blizzard starts taking shape before his eyes.

Writhing, twisting, a layer of snow is expelled gently from the ball shape swirling energy. The winds still as a pair of boot covered feet press against the frozen ground where ripples cannot touch, and the clearing recedes into a tense calm as a pair of purple eyes - so bright, so blindingly dangerous - look up to meet the still creature in the middle of the lake.

"Hello Lukas." Lips twist up into a sneer as they watch the frozen Nokken. "Remember me?"

Round face, shorter stature, those bright purple eyes that were supposed to be brimming with kindness and gentleness. (Those eyes that should have been glazed and cloudy and _dead_. )

"Why wouldn't I?" A dismal smirk curled up from the edges of the Nokken's mouth.

_I was the one who killed you after all._

_..._

_..._

* * *

A/N

For the first time I'm actually satisfied with all of my chapter titles. The idea for them came up after I finished the story, and reading through this chapter again, it seems fitting that there was a mention of seasons in there.

There are references and parallels to a ton of music osts and characters literally everywhere through the fic; (The Gwen and Oswald parallel, the Torahime parallel,... [Don't worry if you don't get these refs. None of you are supposed to. Nah I kid, they are characters from Vanillaware games Odin Sphere and Muramasa. Please give them a try, or watch the LPs on youtube; 2D platformers with great graphics and plot for PS3. It's good I promise. And it would help with the wait for the next chapter ehehe]

More obvious should be the chapter title parallel. I never thought I'd see the day when I start equating APH Norway with Hades but here we are :/ )

There's a reason I chose Athena instead of Artemis to represent Viet even if it would seem that the former fits her more in terms of the story. You will probably figure it out by the finale. But in terms of the Greek Goddesses personalities as well, that played a part in my casting too.

Thank you everyone who managed to drop me a review! I took some of your thoughts and theories into consideration and have started expanding a little more on the story. A couple of characters like purple eye sweetheart above are making appearances.

(Psst, can I ship Greek Gods together? You know, the two mentioned? Because I think I just fell to that new level of shipping. They are probably going to be angst as well, what's with the stigma of the Underworld and Persephone plus the other gods' discouragement (ahem Zeus pls) and nosy Ares. I would go into the incest problem but frankly everything is incest in Greek myths so neh.)


	3. Chapter 3

.

**III: Ghosts of the Past**

...

...

Purple eyes blink and slit into tiny crescent moons as their owner begin to laugh mirthlessly. Twisting his features into a feral grin, the North Wind sighed with mock relief. Receiving no other response from the Nokken however, prompts him to open his mouth again. "I'm glad. But," he lets out a slight _tsk _of displeasure, "that isn't how you are supposed to react when seeing the dead, Lukas."

"What do you want?" The icy remark comes slicing through the air with barely concealed hostility, making the North Wind laugh and put his hands up in a placating manner. His boots press hard against the snow covered ground as he walks forward, but the trail remained clear of any footprints.

"I want nothing. Is it so wrong to visit an old friend?"

"We are not friends."

A disappointed smirk graced the North Wind's lips as he exhaled, stopping by the water's edge. "No, I suppose we are not." If possible, the temperature's downward spike spiralled even further, but the trees surrounding the clearing remained still, stiff and unyielding to the dancing blizzard. A moment of tense silence filled the clearing, before being punctured by (oh, how surprising, and the North Wind feels utter glee as he notices the cracks running along the apathetic expression of the Nokken. _Finally._) the fae in the middle of the semi frozen lake.

"Are you going to turn back? Or are you going to remain staying a coward?" _Clinging like a past I don't want to remember? _The statement comes out laced with indifference, but Lukas knows that he is anything but calm as the North Wind looked at him with cruelty he did not bother to hide.

_Don't look at me with those eyes._

"Where would the fun be in that?" The North Wind smiles, shaking his head. "You know," he uttered idly, cupping his hands together and shuffling his feet on the thin layer of snow that had begin to melt from the pressure. A childish and harmless gesture, but one that immediately made the Nokken bristle. "He was a kind man, experienced and careful too. Pity, he wasn't from here was he? He should never had entered the forest."

"Stop." Dread swept through his veins like ice. His grip on carve wood turned vice-like.

"A foolish man, Väinämöinen. Did you know, he had a lover too. A pretty average thing for a human, with sun-spun hair and blue eyes." So livid was the Nokken that he failed to notice purple eyes glazed over with an unreadable emotion for a second before gaining back its usual malice. "Oh well," he shrugged. "What would I know about the tastes of those short-lived beings. You should have seen her face once she saw the body, frozen cold outside her home. If only she knew he had gotten lost half a land away. Pity-"

"Enough!"

A surge of energy pumped through the North Wind from within the ground, no doubt from whatever magic was at play, but he merely shook off the numbness, his smile dimming into a slight frown as he did so. "Why so angry Lukas? He was just one human."

"Yes, one human that you are going to great lengths to make me remember." The Nokken hisses with contempt and despite himself the North Wind takes an involuntary step back. The surrounding trees shudder without the aid of any dormant winds, and for once the latter finds himself slightly threatened by the creature that was piercing flaring indigo orbs at him.

"But you killed him." Another false close-eyed smile as a snow ridden breeze starts to swirl around the North Wind, shrouding his silhouette and shielding him partially from view. Nokken watches with silent coldness as purple eyes turn darker, unconsciously releasing breath as the North Wind's appearance changed until it was the illusion of a dead man no more but rather a deceiver in all of his glory.

"And you have killed hundreds more."

"Yes." The Nokken feels utter distaste when the North Wind smiles as though the matter was something to be proud of. "But it is the way of things if they die from my hand. Unlike my winters, you could have saved him, couldn't you?" (Liar, _deceiver_.)

(A collapsed body in the wilderness, resting on a bed of white empty of dandelions and wild heather. Shallow breaths and blue lips, widened eyes sparking fear of him and pleas for help. All the while he stood, staring in morbid fascination and stunned wariness within safe waters as the blizzard dulled and took away purple eyes.)

"What is your point?"

"You," the North Wind fixes him with a particular look through the mist, "have changed. Ten years ago you wouldn't have bat an eyelid if I told you all of this. You would had fixed me with that apathetic stare and scoff. The light in your eyes today begs to differ."

_Bingo. _The North Wind smiles in triumph at the silence the clearing gives him.

"Since when have you became so concerned over the death of one human? He is the first you have seen, but still one all the same. Don't tell me," -a silent chuckle and glinting of amethysts - "it bothers you?"

The breeze dies.

When the Nokken next blink open eyes, he had to tilt his head up to regard the taller figure before him. A styled teal coat with fur lined sleeve edges and collar had replaced the drab hunting grab of before. One single slit parts the middle of the coat from the waist down, and the ends of fabric flare slightly as its edges brush against the wet ground. Armour plates covered elbows and knees while a thistle-coloured scarf hangs loosely on broader shoulders, its seams long enough to flutter in the air. The clothing was foreign and unlike those of any human, but also significantly different from those of the creatures in the woods.

Lukas does not answer, and the North Wind sighs in displeasure though the miffed smile remained plastered on his face. Impatience seeps out from beneath the smiling facade of the latter and despite the turmoil in his inner thoughts the Nokken finds his frown easing up a tiny bit, the sight of the displeased look from the North Wind causing satisfaction to flow through him.

"Have you actually lowered yourself to their standards _Nøkk_?" _Have you learned nothing? _There was the bait again, but this time he was wise enough to not bite. The accusation did not stung as much as he had thought it to, but Lukas won't deny himself that much. The past months had changed him more than a century ever did, but for all that he is the Nokken cannot find it in himself to care. He would never regret meeting and striking the deal with the golden eyed hunter he had come to hold dear; and if this is the consequence that he must pay, then so be it.

Humanity, he learnt, wasn't necessary a bad thing anyway, though the North Wind would claim otherwise. He only wishes there was no rift between them to mend. But wanting to assess her injuries and to have felt the touch of her skin against his was something he would feel no remorse for.

"You have sunk low, Lukas."

"I don't suppose that is any of your concern, _Ivan_."

There was that particular look again. It irked him, that look, for Lukas could never figure out what the North Wind was thinking. Annoyance and distrust skim the edges of his mind as he watch the taller being look at him thoughtfully. There was an intensity in his features that Nokken found usually absent during their meetings, and even if present so these gazes were always few and directed on other objects of interest rather than him. It felt as though Ivan was unpeeling the layers of his stony exterior to expose the hidden secrets beneath; secrets he did not want revealed, secrets he would kill to keep.

His fears would not be unfounded.

The North Wind's jaw steeled without warning, and the Nokken feels a rare touch of trepidation sparking inside him as the former opens his mouth.

"You have met one haven't you?"

His fingers twitch. An immediate surge of protectiveness almost overwhelms his mind, clear warning signals telling him to not diverge anything, because he knows without a doubt exactly what the North Wind was talking about.

_You will not take her from me._

"It's another human isn't it. Do not lie to me." Renewed tension boiled between the two. There was displeased look on the North Wind's face, one that Lukas has never seen before. It was incensed, the anger within him evidently boiling, but somehow the Nokken felt much of it was directed at something else that wasn't there. "Well?" Purple amethysts glint harshly in the dreary light, and Lukas feels his hackles rise at the provocation, the tumbling mess of emotions within him threatening to fall apart.

He pursed his lips, narrowing blue eyes into silts. "And what is it to you?"

A sneer answers him with malice. "Aren't you afraid you will hurt them, kill them just like you did h-"

The look Ivan received was so fierce it rendered him temporarily speechless. When the Nokken takes a step forward, growling words and warnings at him in a sharp tongue, he finds himself mirroring his movements in reverse, the rippling waters gradually moving further away from his sight.

"It's always them." Mutters of curses and loathing flowed from his mouth even as he retreated. The North Wind does not look at the fae as he says this, mind too occupied on distant things to care about what was in front of him. A flicker of woe burned with the red in his eyes, shadowed by his bangs. "Always those inferior people. (_Always._) Why them when we can do so much bett- when in the end they will just-"

_Bewitchers. _(How ironic, he thinks, and the thought infuriates him even more.)

He cuts himself off before he finishes, leaving a silence long and abrupt enough to unnerve all. The Nokken shifts, unease unfolding at the prolonged quiet. There is a taut pressure within the North Wind, ready to snap at a moment's notice, and the aftermath something he knows for sure he does not want to experience. Not when he has no idea what those outbursts mean.

Lukas has no idea how long they stood there, the North Wind quiet and him waiting before the sound of a single bird call breaks over the lake. Both looked up at the noise, finding the grey sky seemingly a shade lighter than before. Morning was coming.

"You care for them." The soft murmur reaches his ears as dawn breaks over the white surroundings before hardening into some lethal, something dangerous. "You shouldn't."

The North Wind looks up suddenly, smiling with frigid iciness. A sprout of foreboding takes root in the Nokken, only blooming bigger at the calculative gleam in purple eyes.

"I wonder, this human must certainly be something if they are able to put their trust into you. Or for them to interest you for that matter."

Realisation hits, and panic seizes his heart as Lukas inhales with quickened breath. He couldn't, he could not, he wouldn't dare-

"Don't worry, I won't harm them. After all, a friend of yours is a friend of mine."

A blast of coldness, and before an opened mouth could counter he was gone. A clenched fist pressed hard against chest. Heartbeat beating quicker than usual, agitation feeling his veins.

Lukas curses.

...

(In the midst of worry and ache he never thinks to use the gift that has brought them together. It never crossed his mind. But then, that was the consequence of humanity wasn't it, thoughtfulness?)

...

...

...

There is a warm updraft in the air. Lien feels it as she carries a pile of wooden logs in her arms, battling the wind as she heads back inside to the warmth of her hut. Siew Bao pads in quickly inside before Lien can shut the door firmly, carrying a particularly big piece of log in his mouth. With practised ease he throws the log halfway into the burning fire before nudging it fully into the hearth with his muzzle.

Lien puts the logs down by the meagre pile next to the stone chimney and stands. With calloused fingers she pats Siew Bao's head and goes to pull out her quiver of arrows. There is a restlessness in the both of them as the hour ticks pass; she sharpening each arrow head and him laying by the door, occasionally sniffing the cool air that blows through the bottom of the sturdy wood. The past weeks have been spent in a similar manner in the house, rechecking supplies and waiting for time to tick pass so much so that the bored itch that had embedded itself into the back of her head had worn her patience thin.

Siew Bao's ears twitch and flatten at an exceptionally noisy screech when the tip of an arrow head grazes the sharpening stone at the wrong angle. With a tensed shift of her body, Lien mutters a quiet apology before finishing off the job quickly. Placing the arrow next to the neat stack of sharpened ones, the hunter stands up stiffly, undoing the kinks and cricks in her back.

Eyes flick back to the door for the fifth time in an hour, and again she briefly contemplates the pros and cons of leaving the hut for just a little while. It would not be the safest idea, but the same could be said if she continued to stay within the four walls of her home. Besides, the worst of winter has come and gone, and Siew Bao could use the fresh air..-

_Or, you could just go out because you want to. _Indecisiveness grips her mind as Lien grimaces before shaking her head minutely. Pulling the thick coat over her shoulders she grabbed her bow and headed for the door. The tip of Siew Bao's tail twitch when Lien grips the knob and pushes against the door open slightly, wagging harder as he watched her take a look outside. The wind had receded, leaving the surroundings bathed in a fresh coat of white. In the distance bare branches hung outstretched like the arms of skinny witches, casting shapeless pasty contours on snow.

Surveying the frozen landscape once more, she opened the door a fraction wider. A black blur shot out quickly from within the hut, and Lien smiles as she follows, the decision made for her as she closed the wooden entrance swiftly to prevent the loss of precious warmth. Pleasant coldness stings her face as she walks down the wooden steps to sink one boot-clad foot into the ground. The snow gives away easily, and Lien starts to make for the direction of the woods, a trail of footprints marring her wake.

Siew Bao trudges along the trail she makes, finding enjoyment in jumping into the deep holes that her footprints make until he tires, long legs catching up to walk by his master's side instead, brushing his flank against her knee. With the occasional exception of hound breaking away to sniff at a lone tree or the path ahead, the duo walk with relatively comfortable silence.

The path they take is the same as one of their hunts. The sounds of flowing water fills their ears soon enough, and Lien tilts her head up towards the sound, parting jagged bare branches and walking towards the trickling stream. Siew Bao bends his head to lap at the icy but fresh mountain water, tongue lolling out puffs of white clouds as he exhaled. Stepping on one of the stepping stones in the middle of the narrow river, hunter eyes rove over the barren trees and snow laced conifers, settling her eyes in a familiar direction up North.

Eyes divert just as quickly, and Lien breathes in the crisp air deeply. It was merely a habit acting up; there was nothing else to it. Nevertheless, she holds her gaze for a few seconds longer, before turning away when she feels water droplets splash onto her coat. Siew Bao shakes his head free of the freezing water before padding alongside the direction of the twisting current, sniffing the air curiously. Lien follows, hopping back to the stream's side as she moved towards her wandering partner.

It starts from here.

A rustle and harsh snapping of twigs sounds from far across the stream, shattering the fragile peace of the sleeping forest. Bodies tensed up as Lien twists her foot swiftly, tilting her head over her back while watchful eyes draw new assessments on elements she had looked over with disinterest just seconds ago. Siew Bao crouches down slightly, but the hound made no movement towards the sound. His ears were pricked, but the muscles of his legs remained abnormally rigid and unprepared to pounce.

The noise grew erratic; stopping one moment and growing ear splitting the next, sending pangs of uncertainty and drilled-in warnings into her. The hunter cringed. This was how things end up dead in the woods; because they were mindless enough to make attention-drawing noises. A hand creeps up to grip the edge of her bow over her shoulder. With graceful silence, Lien taps across the stepping stones, keeping low behind the branches of bushes as she debated revealing herself.

Siew Bao follows in silence, disappearing into a nearby snow drift like a shadow, but the absence of any growling or earnestness from him as body language told the hunter all she needed to know. Golden orbs gleam as she pushed her body out into the open, walking slowly out onto the familiar snow covered trail. Snow crumbles as the noises grow louder; like footsteps, and Lien can barely blink before a pile of the white flakes nestled between two trees collapses and spills onto the path, an unsteady figure dropping together with it.

_Wh-_

Darkened indigo irises look around fretfully, and Lien feels her stomach drop. (Her heart skips a beat.) _How? _There was an anxious, almost agitated crease in the brow of the figure as he brushed the snow off his robes and stood up with subtle flair, eyes darting about as he note his surroundings. His jaw was stiff and his gaze hard-lined. He looked frazzled, worried even, and Lien doesn't like the expression of irritation and shock on his face when he turns and sees her.

"Lukas..?" Her voice comes out croaky, but as the Nokken stares at her with widening eyes and a flash of recognition she finds herself starting to relax_. _Relief pours through her when she exhales breath. The initial introduction over however, now leaves her unsure over how to respond and pick up where they left off.

The Nokken resumes looking at her with so much painful intensity that she starts to fidget. At last he offers a weak smile, so different from the usual calm exterior and worry inducing she cannot help but want to answer him with assurances, the previous turmoil plaguing her pushed aside into a corner of her mind. There was an ache within her again, familiar from past memories (and if she was honest with herself, not all that unwelcome).

"I've found you." There was a cautious undertone mixed with the relief in his voice as he moves closer to her, eyes following the way the snow falls off a too heavy branch. "Good,.. good. That means he hasn't; I'm not too late.." The last words were murmured out like an afterthought solely to comfort himself, but Lien feels a surge of curiosity, and before she can comprehend the weight of those words her mouth opens.

"Who hasn't?"

His mouth snaps shut immediately, bearing a minuscule grimace. "No one." There was a peculiar tone in his voice, one that Lien perceives and hardens her conscious at. His eyes do not meet hers, the conversation seemingly over. He has never done that before. Something within her churns anxiously; it had always been she who needed to be coaxed out of her silence, yet to see their positions switched irked her in a way she did not understand. But it was more than that; something was different somehow.

She should trust him, she knows him well enough to do so. But yet -The Nokken was glaring at a point through the trees that she could not see. There was a frigidness to him she has never seen before, his jaw set as stone and eyes cold as he searched for something unknown within the forest.- she finds herself hesitating.

"What's going on?" The question comes out quiet but firm, causing Lukas to glance at her with unbidden irritation. What little warmth he had previously shown had left his features and he looked less like the creature he had depicted himself to be the first time they met. This wasn't the Nokken that had first brought her fish to gain her trust. Had she really taken the past him for granted?

"You are hiding something from me."

"I'm trying to protect you." His reply comes out sharper than intended, and the hunter feels the tension start to rise. Navy eyes flicker with guilt for a second, before dissipating away like vapour in the air. "You don't want to know anything. It's better if you don't. That way," his volume drops until its barely louder than a whisper. "That way no one has to get hurt."

Pity, ignorance is never bliss for a hunter. It is always paranoia and wariness that keeps her alert and safe in the woods. "You don't have to protect me." Her voice was coloured with the slightest trace of indignation, her eyes flashing with warning sparks of anger. Something stirred within the Nokken, a dirty feeling; anger and frustration and fear all combined into one. Why won't she understand?

"You are right, I don't." He says it softly, taking no pleasure in watching the surprise come to her face. "I don't have to do this. In fact," he breathes, "I think it's best if we stop all of this."

The hunter stiffens suddenly, and he knows there is no going back.

"Let's not see each other anymore."

Strange, she never knew light-headedness could cause pain to bloom in her heart. Lien can feel sparks crackling in the tense silence. Though there had been no visible reaction apart from a flicker of her eyes, she found her jaw and fists had clenched tightly in the aftermath of his heavy blow. Slowly she relaxed and uncurled them, keeping golden leveled with navy. This was what she always wanted, for him to leave her alone. But the flood of relief she had imagined would come was nowhere to be found.

It hurt, more than the months she had gone without seeing him. The nagging tug in the rational, observant part of her head still had not subsided, and so she forced herself to focus on that instead on feelings and aches that would only tear her apart.

"Alright." She was thankful that her voice did not waver or hesitate, the shakiness of words flowing unseen through the lump in her throat. There was a flatness in her voice, one that was almost mocking. "Since you and I have no more obligations to one another, you wouldn't have a problem telling me about what you are trying so hard to hide."

"Yes, but then again I now owe you _nothing_." A sneer was in his words, the coldly masked exterior of his firmly back into place. It enraged her then, how causal and haughty he sounded all of a sudden. If all those stolen glances and given looks of emotions before meant nothing, and if this was his real persona, how dare he make her care. How dare he trick her for his amusement and play her like some fool, stealing her trust and crushing it into nothing.

If he wanted to be cruel, then so will she.

"You must be quite something if a mere secret can destroy you." A narrow slit of her eyes betrayed the hard edged of her biting remark. A bitter laugh resounded through the clearing in response. Hard glittering diamonds pinned her with so much burning intensity that had it been any other situation she would have looked away. Instead she fixed him with a look of her own, prideful gold gleaming in challenge beneath half lidded indifferent orbs.

"You stupid human." The smirk deepened on his face; Lien does not recognise him anymore. "You want to know so badly hm? Well alright. But it won't be so much so of me than it will be of you." He sauntered away from her, tracing the shape of the path with slow footsteps. Snow crunched beneath his feet as he circled her predatorily, and bleakly Lien wondered how it had all came down to this; him, being a total stranger to her, cornering her, threatening her.

"There once was a foolish boy who went into the woods." His words were soft, but she could smell the malice off of them, off of him. "It was winter you see, a terrible winter, and the boy and his grandfather had run out of firewood to burn. He didn't want to burden his grandfather, so in the dead of the night he snuck out. A blizzard was blowing that night and it wasn't long before the boy got lost. He was young, barely a man yet, but he was smart, blessed with intellect. He took shelter from the blizzard and waited for morning to come. Once it did and the blizzard died he set off to find his way home."

The Nokken paused, licking his lips, a thin film of mist dissipating from his eyes. His eyes flick to roam over the hunter, noting how she watched him with a guardedness and inquisitiveness he found..captivating. Her eyes were still beckoning him challengingly, dancing with dormant static. With calculated movements he cut across the circular he had made in the snow as he paced, moving closer to her with controlled precision.

"The more he walked, the more the boy found himself hopelessly clueless as to where he was. The snow had covered all possible landmarks and it seemed more and more likely he would never return home." He stopped close to her left side, before weaving around her back. Lowering his voice, he relished in the almost imperceptible way her body trembled, whether in rage or by his presence he did not care, only that he was able to invoked such an emotion out of her. "He was starting to get cold and tired, hunger and thirst also weakening him. If he wanted to, he could have abandoned his baggage to cover more ground, but he was unwilling to part with the stack of branches he had found." The tips of his fingers stroke loose strands of her wind-spun hair, brushing down the edges of her shoulders as he turned to stand facing her properly. "He had just picked up a handful of snow to eat when he stumbled upon me."

The hunter meets him halfway, tilting her head as he loomed over her. "And? What did you do to him?" The sharp edge was still present, but her voice had unknowingly turned breathy at his proximity.

"What do you think?" He whispered. A moment passed before he continued. "The boy was wary, but also cunning. He attempted to strike a deal with me, and if it turned in his favour, I was to show him his way home. Pity," the Nokken held a look of mock remorse, "he was a smart one, but he still failed in the end."

"I killed him of course. But you know," - Indigo gleam roguishly as their owner bends his head down closer. Lukas purrs as the tips of their noses bump together, chuckling softly at the frozen look on her face. - "it's funny, you look _exactly _like him."

It happens so quickly that even before Lien can try to get her bearings together it is too late. His mouth smashes onto hers roughly, a hand yanking her jaw up as he stole breath and drew blood. Golden eyes bulged in shock and squeezed tight as hunter begin to struggle. His lips were cold on her, detached and unfeeling even as they pressed and moved roughly against her bloodied flesh. In the haze of blood and loss of air hands turn to claws and nails sink into the skin as she scrabbled for release.

An audible clash of teeth, and her knee jerks forward, slamming harshly into his groin. The Nokken grunts, and Lien pushes his lightened hold away with her hands, breaking away quickly. A whisper of slicing wind, and in nanoseconds the Nokken finds himself at the receiving end of a blade. He dodges, moving back before it could slash him, laughing in mirth at her look of pure disgust.

The hunter shakes, the grip on her hunting sword more than tight as she held it in front of her protectively. Her violated lips quiver, bloody and bruised, but it was her eyes that made the creature in front of her smile. They were positively burning from hatred and loathing, so much so that he could see the long bygone memories being dredged up within them.

"You are not him." Her throat was raspy as she growled, eyes shining with the magnitude of her emotions. "You are not Lukas."

Surprise colours the Nokken's face for a moment, but a pleased look soon takes its place. "And you are not who I assumed would be." He laughs once, looking for all the world unaffected by the tenseness that had stifled the small bit of their surroundings beforehand. A powerful wind picks up, and in seconds the North Wind smiles in place of where the Nokken had been before.

(_Liar, deceiver_.)

Lien starts at the transformation, but her glare does not lessen. If only she wasn't too occupied with startling revelations she might have acknowledged the tiny feeling of relief within her that he wasn't really _him_. "You killed my brother."

"Yes, I supposed I did. But I never thought he'd have a younger sister. How lovely, to be able to finally meet you. I see you have the same strong wit and potential as he."

"Don't you _dare _talk about us this way." Pain and ache filled her suddenly exhausted body. The hand holding the hunting blade shook, but it remained level with the North Wind's chest.

"Your brother was a foolish man, he took a gamble with a creature of magic and paid for it." The North Wind shakes his head and continues cruelly, "but the Nokken is even more of a fool if he thinks he can have you and expect things to be well and fair."

"He-"

"-might not have killed your brother, but he has killed before. Tell me young one, would you bear to breach taboos to stay with a creature who is not only killed, but is certain to cause you much suffering and hurt in future?"

Before hunter can answer, the North Wind smiles pitifully, talking in a pleasant tone that she has come to despise. "You are smart, human, but in the end, still foolish like the rest of your kind. Oh well, time I bid you goodbye. We should meet again someday, I had fun." Amethyst orbs glitter victoriously at the hunched stature and tormented look on her face. His mouth curves into a small smirk as he turns around and leaves the path, his work apparently done.

"You are not going to kill me?"

Footsteps halt briefly but do not turn around. "No, I gave my word that I was not to harm you." A soft exhale. "Funny, seems like I already did."

A strong wind, and Lien watches as the North Wind dissipates into the air, the tension only leaving her when she was sure she was alone. With a tired sigh she sinks to the ground clumsily. Fingers touch the tip of her lips, before swiping the blood off onto the back of her palm roughly with force great enough to deepen some wounds. Hands drop onto her lap haphazardly, paying no heed to the red droplets that had begin to form on her lips again.

The sound of slight shuffling and crunching of snow reaches her ears, a cold nose pressing against her knee softly shortly after. Siew Bao looks up at her with flattened ears and a soft whine when he feels a warm droplet land on his head. A few more droplets land on the hunter's clenched hands, and the hound bends to lick them up, tail moving limply as another whine leaves his mouth at the sight of more tears.

Her body shook, and before she realises she has started to sob, hacking hiccups and gasps muffled by sheer will alone. A small seething part of her wants to blame someone other than herself, but with all her will she cannot find it in her to do so. Lien closes her eyes and wishes that the burning pain within her would go away, replaced by numbness that would be easier to endure.

...

...

* * *

A/N

Chapter 3 is just Nor subtly becoming more and more OOC until he becomes another character completely, literally. I'm surprised myself that this is like actually legit. Man, I love causing pain to characters I love. (Actually not really the sexual(?) tension was so taxing to write because it kept exhausting my mental strength and gave me heartache.) Poor Viet.

It's been a month since I lasted posted please forgive me orz. The entirety of this chapter was expandable and new from the original plot due to some ideas that a reviewer and a friend had given me while throwing theories around in their reviews hence I had to write it entirely from scratch. (See this is why you write reviews; you guys can influence plot.) Thanks guys, this angst mess is for you. I had to juggle my school hours with this hence it took so long (ack sorry again but I now only have time to write on Fridays and weekends and even then I must wait for inspiration to come).

I hope you enjoy this chapter nonetheless. Plenty of plot twists here and a little bit of foreshadowing. It is kind of hard to catch the latter unless you know what you are looking for, that said I'm looking forward to how many people can catch it. This is probably the midpoint of the story so another two or three more chapters to go. Hang in there guys!

Russia was a blast to write honestly. He is a magical creature as well, the personification of the North Wind (somewhat like General Winter but not really). There is a small spinoff-sequel that I plan to write concerning him, but that is a story for another day.

The next chapter will probably be on time ahahaha I will try my best.


	4. Chapter 4

.

**IV: Hiraeth**

...

...

_"What have you done." _

_A slamming of hands, fingers digging into flesh, lividness, all swirling in a churning mass of red and black. Eyes, chilling and hard like diamonds, burning holes into glittering amethysts. The sudden lunge had the bigger creature by surprise, but it isn't long before Ivan returns the snarl with a malicious smirk of his own. Bitter coldness flares, and the Nokken retracts his tingling hands away from their hold around the former's neck._

_The ends of his fingers throbbed numbly, but the fae merely curled them into tight fists as he glared openly at the other. Gone was the calmness he had attempted to contain; what once was imposing had crumbled under the revelation of the act his supposed acquaintance had committed. _

_"What have you done to her." _

_"My, I'm surprised you even know what happened." The North Wind lifted his chin proudly, the action done as though to humour a small child. "Do tell Lukas."_

_The words only seem to agitate the Nokken further, and the clearing trembled along with him as he shook with repressed anger. "I'll kill you," he mutters, and Ivan only shakes his head gently at the sorry sight._

_"No you won't." They both know this is the truth._

_"If you did anything to her..." The Nokken looks up, and the North Wind starts at the amount of anguish and rage in his eyes. "I _will_ kill you." The North Wind's hand clenches involuntarily as he watched the shadows distort on the Nokken's face, and once again Ivan marvels at how just one human girl was able to evoke such intensity from the creature in front of him. The image of the seething fae reflects in his eyes, and Ivan knows this was a sight he would never forget. There was no doubt this threat, no matter how unwisely said, was to be taken heed of._

_"Leave." A warning hiss, and the North Wind exhales softly. Turning towards the thicket, the North Wind pauses, the air and snow around him eerily still and undisturbed as compared to the rest of his immediate surroundings, the air having turned turbulent with static and the ground vibrating with foreboding. Purple eyes watch the empty wilderness thoughtfully, keeping his gaze levelled as another pair of orbs scowl hatefully into his skin._

_(_"An interesting human, but not one I want to toy with. Not when the one I truly loathe is-"_)_

_"I wash my hands clean of her." A blast of icy wind flapped the ends of loose cloth violently, throwing the mutter into the winds. "Do what you want, but you know the consequences."_

_Only the distant howl of a wolf and the slight sloshing of water answers the North Wind, and it is with bitterness when he feels the winds envelope him. The feeling of victory and glee he had expected from his actions had been noticeably absent; all he had received from the suffering and despair he had caused were reminders of a past he rather not remember. A past he regrets he cannot change, not when _he_ is there, not when she was still angry at him. He leaves disgruntled, a part of him feeling unhappy at all that had conspired._

_The Nokken's body slumps tiredly when the winds finally calm, the presence of the North Wind having faded along with it. One hand runs through his hair, gripping fistfuls of blonde locks and disturbing the pristine clip from its position as a quiet noise of agitation leaves his mouth. Never had Lukas felt so helpless in his life. A flicker of selfish yearning comes to life within him (yet again), and his eyes squeezes shut as he exhales, long and hard._

"Don't you wish you could too? Leave?"

_The heart of winter had left, but the clearing remained frozen over. Even the edges of the lake waters had solidified, and the absence of life around him made the Nokken feel emptier than ever._

_..._

_..._

_..._

In the days that follow after the accident Lien takes out her hunting knifes and weapons and starts sharpening them one by one. Even the arrows and blades she had honed once she takes out to do again, if only to distract her from cruel amethysts that haunt her dreams and whose sole thought triggered the shaking of her hands. The sounds of grinding metal echo within the hut, and it isn't long before Siew Bao wakes up from his naps with ears flattened but used to the painful, grating sound.

Much to the hound's relief, the stifled routine would not last forever. They both feel the season changing, and with the arrival of cooler breezes, the hunter's nightmares' recede and she returned to her normal self. (That was good, for he did not like the soft noises she would make in her sleep, the furrowed lines on her face deepening as she tossed and turned. She had called out the name of her littermate once, and the name of another, familiar one that had sounded similar to the rain-scented creature by the lake. But Siew Bao had not dwelled on that, focusing instead on licking away the salty liquid that ran down his sleeping master's cheeks as he made sure she was alright. He did not like the salt water, for that was something he had come to equate with pain.)

When a fortnight passes, Lien finally dons herself with familiar garb and the duo heads out towards the direction of the meadows that lie eastward away from their usual hunting grounds. Snow had stopped falling a while ago, and the hunter holds her breath as Siew Bao sniffs at a particular patch of the fallen crystals before shoving his paws into the whiteness to begin digging.

The muted scent of growing life hits her nose, and Lien smiles in satisfaction as Siew Bao shook wet snow off his face, his breath forming little translucent clouds as they both marveled the season's first spring grass silently.

The barren snowscape remains undisturbed as hunter and hound head back into the cover of trees. Walking through the snow slowly, Lien lifts her head when the latter growls in warning towards a spot of trees lying off the beaten trail. Foreign growls reply in unison, and Lien narrows her eyes as a middle-aged man walks out from behind a thick bark-stripped trunk, three dogs on leashes scrambling over him as they followed, straining against the leather pieces as they watched Siew Bao cautiously.

"Fellow hunter are you?" The man was tall and bulky, his experienced eyes boring into her and taking in their similarly-clothed garb, as well as the quiver on her back and bow held casually in her hands. Hunters don't usually bump into each other in the huge expanse of forest, and one can even go for years without ever meeting another. That said, chance meetings like these were rare, but it suited many of their agendas just fine.

With a nod, Lien relayed to him her findings in the meadow, and with an evident sigh of relief, the man relaxed and gave her an easy grin, one that she returned with a small smile. "It's about time spring came." The man guffawed good-naturedly. "My feet were about to freeze off from all that waiting!"

Now significantly more at ease, the two called off their hounds and swapped pleasantries, making small talk as the hounds sniff at one another curiously. In the midst of their conversation, Lien finds the heavy load in her chest begin to lift. It had been too long since she had someone to talk to, someone she could trust. Her mind shifts to memories of pained eyes, and she pushes them back into the darkness before her heart became weighed with lingering regrets.

"I must be going now. Wife expects me back soon with four hungry mouths." The other hunter chuckles cheekily and gestures to his hunting dogs, and Lien smiles wider as she steps past him and calls for Siew Bao.

"Of course. May your year be blessed with good hunts."

"And to you. A word of caution though." The man tapped his chin thoughtfully before looking at her seriously. "There has been talk of imp activity in the Northwest, few miles past the wide river. Wolves have been sighted coming down from the North too, close to the woodland where the hot springs are. Why just a couple of days ago I saw a couple patrolling near the old bear caves." He tilted his chin towards the direction of the meadow as Lien followed his gaze, aware of what he was talking about. At the Northern tip of the meadows were thin patches of rocky woodland, frequented by many deer, but also known for its sizable cave openings where bears enter to hibernate during winter.

"If I were you, I would tread those areas with caution. Or avoid them altogether."

"I will keep that in mind. Thank you." Lien nods kindly as the older hunter gives her a mock salute before going on his way. The hounds sniff and wag their tails at Siew Bao before bounding up to their master as they tug on their leashes, the excited shuffling of feet fading into the wind as their figures gradually disappear from sight.

Still reeling from the encounter of human contact, Lien's smile turns wistful as she resumes the trek home. As Siew Bao stops to sniff the air when they brush by their usual hunting route her smile wavers, and unconsciously she moves closer to the other end of the trail away from the route as she walks. They reach their hut in relatively good time, and Lien throws one last look at the tranquil forest before closing the door to start on dinner.

...

...

...

_"Azaleas, azaleas, a bouquet full of gay. Someday, someday, you-"_

_"That isn't even a real song." Smaller hands struggle to steady their grip on more calloused ones. In the dimly lit house, the little girl's feet attempted to keep pace with her brother's. He twirls her quickly on the slippery wood, and the girl yelps as she stumbles, her naked feet splaying over the floor until the stronger boy has to support half her weight._

_"Yes it is!" The lanky boy laughs heartily through a grunt as he pulls his sister upright, pouting softly as she squirmed out of his grip. " 'Someday, you will grow to become our little own azalea.' Or so that's what Gramps says."_

_The girl snorts and turns her head away. "You are being cheesy. I don't like it brother."_

_"But it's true!" Came the protest and she turns back just in time to see him swallowing a smile. "You are only ten now, but in a few years time," he makes a gesture with his hands. "You are going to become very pretty."_

_"Don't be silly. Womanhood (she eyes him with a look when he corrects her pronunciation) won't change anything. I'm still going to be living with you and Grandpa and doing my share of the hunting."_

_"I'm just glad there aren't any boys living in the woods to admire my little sister when she grows up all beautiful." Brother grins boyishly and smirks when he catches the small log aimed at his head, revelling in achievement as his sister blinks at him in surprise, before a tiny smile slowly spreads across her face._

_"You have to teach me how to do that."_

_"Sure! I can teach you all sorts of things too, like how to shoot squirrels and rabbits and boars." There was pride in his voice, and the girl sniggers as she shuffled her feet. "Don't need to. I can just ask Grandpa to teach me."_

_Right on cue, a knock sounded against the wooden door. With eagerness the siblings rush to open it, and brother laughs at sister as he flicks her forehead, causing her to fuss and drop her grip on the knob so that he is the one that pulls it open for their charge to enter, smiling cheekily as he does so._

_"Love you sis!"_

_"Oh don't be such a sap, Yao."_

_..._

_..._

_..._

It was raining, the clouds in the sky grey and overcast as they released their tensions and shed unneeded weight. The ground soaks up the pelting droplets greedily while the various green spouts that grew scattered around masses of budding daisies unfurled their leaves and blades to soak in the coolness of the falling water.

A heavy droplet trails down the curve of Lukas' nose, past his closed lips before dribbling down his chin. His eyes stare unseeingly on a patch of young grass as the rain stains his body, but he does not move from his position on the soft earth. His beloved violin sits innocuously on his lap, rainwater dripping off the slippery wood easily, but the Nokken felt no urge to pick and pluck at the strings. The urge to play music had dried up a long time ago, and now all he feels is nothingness. If he tried, all that would come out from his skillful hands would be a mournful tune, and that would be too painful - even for him - to bear.

Fingers brush against blades of young grass gently, and Lukas breathes in the scent of growing life as he contemplates on how spring as come late this year. Something soft drapes over his head, sheltering him from the rain, and Lukas tilts his head up slowly as the faint smell of wood smoke and something comforting assaults his nostrils. Doe eyes greet him sombrely, parts of her face hidden under the shadow of her hood, but there was no mistaking it; the hunter looking at him with downcast eyes as her hand drops back to her side.

Despite himself, the Nokken finds his breath falter and catch for the briefest of moments. Indigo hues take in the hunter's appearance searchingly under the blanket, holding her eyes until she shifts them away and he is left to trace the way rain drips down the sides of the thin cloak that barely covered her from her mid-calves down to her feet. Her bow was missing, though the quiver was still slung over her shoulder. The ends of her hair poking out from within the hood were wet, while her lips looked dry, but it was her hands he glimpsed, and her hands he focused on.

They were curled away from him, the tips of fingers flaring painful pink while palms a pale pasty white. The temperature of the forest had fallen, and Lukas wonders if she would mind if he were to reach out and lace his fingers with hers, if only to take away the cold and numbness that she must have been feeling.

"I'm sorry. I never meant to show you how much of a monster I was." The words leave his mouth softly, honesty and regret brimming the edges of it. It was hard to convey and spew emotions the way humans do, but he was willing to try, if only to get her to forgive him.

His hand twitches.

The Nokken purses his lips as he lifts the limb. With hesitation he reaches for her, crossing the space that separated the brushing of clothes. The blanket falls off his head as his hand hovers uncertainly over hers, but when the hunter offers no resistance, he swallows and brings his hands closer to her skin. The tip of her fingers lift to graze his palm just before his own presses against the top of her wrist, and Lukas allows a tiny smile to grace his lips as he ghosts his hand slowly over smooth skin, tugging the hunter's hand close until his fingers enveloped and rested on smaller digits and knuckles.

(He is cautious, for though she does not pull away with quiet alarm and shifty eyes, the lack of words and vacant expression was worrying all the same.)

There was something fragile about her hands, all soft and delicate under all the roughness that has shaped her into who she was. Strong capable hands that hold the power to her survival, to do gentle things and vicious things, hands that could injure him even, if he allowed it. (Blades of silver and metal, she had no idea of the things she could do.) It would be all too easy to take that away from her. Just one snap, a sharp twist of her thin wrist-

Lukas sighs - _But he won't._ \- and exhales inches from the underside of her wrist.

_Humans really were vulnerable._

It had been an unconscious motion as he leaned forward, beads of falling rain trickling down his mouth as he closed the distance and pressed soft lips against her pulse point. The scent of human floods him first, followed by the faint tang of wild flora and damp wood and sweat. (Nothing especially sweet or feminine like the some of the divine spirits that inhabit the woods, but he inhales it up like the finest of ambrosia, careful with his ministrations as he nuzzles and sighs against her skin.) A shuddering gasp from the hunter however, stiffens his movements. Mind finally catches up to body, and Lukas freezes, flicking his gaze up slowly to see widened gold and a cupped hand over mouth.

Regret floods his veins immediately at the fright and surprise reflected in her eyes. There was a dusting of red on her cheeks, and her breathing had turned shallow, her hands shaking with unknown emotion and uncertainty that he rued was caused by him. With a clumsy motion the Nokken moves away, his mask of grace faltering as alarm takes its place.

He hadn't meant to do that.

_Look at what you have done, _a voice whispers scornfully at him, and the Nokken flinches when he realises it wasn't the voice of piercing amethysts, but rather his own._ Now she will run and you will be left all alone. You let your impulses get the best of you again, now you_-

_No, no no no..!_

His grip on her loosens, and the Nokken watches with an aching chest as she pulls and stumbles away from him, the raw panic of her frazzled motions evident of the emotional state she was in. The hood of her cloak slips off as she shakes her head repeatedly with eyes staring at the ground, the rain soaking her exposed scalp greedily as her other hand rose to grip locks of burnt umber to steady her quivering frame. Raindrops splash into his eyes, and with unfocused blinks Lukas watches the image of the lake start to blur.

...

...

...

The Nokken opens his eyes and finds himself sitting in water.

There was no rain, and the ground was absent of any moistness the presence of rain would have cause. A soothing wind ruffles his hair as he stands up and watches dull flower buds sway in the breeze, but even the forest cannot comfort him over his inner strife.

He had been dreaming again, of wistful things that would never be, for how would she be able to forgive him when he makes the same mistake even in his dreams? It was almost embarrassing, how much he had come to want and depend on her presence, how much he hurt as the absence of his visitor grew longer with each passing day. The thought of another human replacement in another hundred years did not comfort him; rather, it frustrated and grieved him. There was only one person he wanted to see, and she wasn't here.

The twittering of song greets his ears, and the Nokken watches a pair of songbirds emerge from within the trees, flirting in circles around the other as they flew, singing in joy for the coupling of their love. Vibrant red and yellow feathers vanish into the branches of a sturdy maple before the Nokken returns to look at the ground, picking up his violin gently and absentmindedly stroking delicate strings that spanned the carved wood.

The forest sways again, forcing him to look up, startled, at the loud burst of chatter within the trees. Something had woke him, and now the same stirring sent restlessness coursing throughout his being as he heard the high pitched trills and noises crescendo. Branches creak and snap, and the Nokken blinks in quiet apprehension as he sees the same pair of songbirds dart out from beneath the maple tree to fly across the clearing in terror, an irate raven cawing loudly at them before giving up the chase to return to its roost on unseen branches hidden by leaves.

A bad omen?

The grip on his violin tightens as the Nokken tries to convince himself that everything was alright, but no matter the assurances he gave himself he could not take of the notion that something wasn't quite fine.

...

...

...

There was something sweet in the air, sharp and rich and piercing through the light fragrance of springtime flowers. Sheathing her hunting knife, Lien heaves the bagful of spoils over her shoulder, feeling the weight of an unfortunate quail buried in fragrant petals join a dozen handful of early spring berries (tied securely in another pouch of course) as the hardy material sways.

Siew Bao walks up to her with a flower in his mouth, tail wagging happily as she looked down at him with poorly veiled amusement. Gently she plucked the flower from his mouth and twirl it between her fingers. The scentless pale pink blossom stared back at her, and Lien smiles as a memory courses through her. She ponders on putting the flower in her hair but decides against it. Gently she lays the flower on a nearby stone and straightens up, surveying the area.

The piercing sweetness had invaded the flower strewn path, and with growing curiosity, hunter starts walking in the direction of the strong scent. The trees thin, birdsong disappearing along with it, and her unease grows as she slows down. Lien stops completely when the earth shakes, sending vibrations in the air and causing the surrounding trees to shudder. Alert ears pricked, and Siew Bao whines softly as he leaves the path and disappears behind a trunk.

Lien follows him stealthily into the trees, and the forest shifts in synchronisation with their movements, shielding them from the ears and nose of an unknown intruder. A distressed cry sounds in the distance, airy and alight with fright, and Lien steels herself as chills wreck her spine. Creeping through the undergrowth, hunter and hound peeked out of shivering leaves to the sight of a lone magnolia tree in the middle of the huge glade.

At least, what was left of it.

What once was a mighty tree was no more than just a living being clinging on to its last hope of survival. With claws sticky in the residue of sweet goo and form imposing with stature, the great beast pounded down upon the thick trunk again and again, sending bark and wood splintering into the air. The remains of an abandoned hive lay cracked and broken on the forest floor, its queen long dead and her workers long fled, dispersed and scattered into diasporas far away. With every ominous crunch and distant crack, magnolia flowers flutter to cover the empty husk still oozing with the remnants of golden honey.

The bear paid no heed to the fallen husk, grunting and heaving mighty paws to crash against the last layers of hard bark. High above in the branches of the magnolia, slender hands cling onto sturdy branches tightly, their owner watching in fear as animalistic black eyes met hers with primal hunger. With another growl the grizzly bear tears at the bark with its claws angrily, stretching its hind legs in an attempt to reach higher.

Lien sucks in a breath as wood starts creaking ominously, watching the nymph in its branches struggle to hold her balance. There was fear in her lustrous pearl eyes, and another cry of fright escaped her lips as the tree starts to lean over sideways. With fervour the bear pounds at the exposed heartwood, and hunter finds bile rise to her throat as the magnolia groans in feverish agony, branches full of blooming flowers snapping and falling onto the forest floor.

Siew Bao grunts softly, claws sinking into the damp soil as he fidgets, but he remains unmoving next to his master, ignoring his better instinct as he stands still. The nymph wails again, her lithe form scrabbling for control as sharp teeth and strong jaws gain leverage closer to her, and the forest cries in answer, leaves rustling above the sad murmuring of hush voices.

There are nymphs, Lien thinks as she squints, on the other side of the glade. Behind and within the trees, captivatingly beautiful maidens that lament and keen for their trapped sister. Their silk spun hair glow fiercely where the sun's rays touch them, but they make no move to aid the young one crying in the branches of the magnolia.

(They cannot, and that hurts the most.)

With a clammy palm hunter pets the back of her tense hound in an attempt to calm, fingers retracting quickly when another loud roar drums their ears. She is shaking, her heartbeat the only thing she can hear as she remains unmoving, and the realisation hits her like a slam to the back, knocking the breath out of her. The sensation was horrifying, and a strangled noise leaves her throat unconsciously as her fingers twitch, nails sinking harder into skin. Every shed of common sense was screaming at her to move as far away as she can. But how can she? She cannot run and expect herself to wipe the memory and thoughts of the aftermath off like nothing.

Bushes explode from the thicket to the north without warning, and ivory horns lower threateningly as they rammed into tough hide, knocking the bear away from the dying magnolia. Hunter and hound watched in awestruck fear as the latter groans, pawing its nose in irritation before blinking in newfound aggression, snarling lowly as it eyed the regal stag standing between it and its prey.

With grand stature the deer straightens to its full height, imposing antlers gleaming under the light as the bear stalked closer, hunger creeping into its black eyes. In the branches of the magnolia, the nymph watches the exchange with worrisome eyes, making no move to get down from her perch on the tree.

The bear charged. In seconds it stood over the buck, front paws raised to slash downwards. But an upward thrust by the latter knocks it back unsteadily on its hind legs. Bringing its hooves down with bone crushing pressure, a warning swipe caused the buck to rear back in alarm. Paws grip antlers in retaliation, and the clearing watches helplessly as the two kings battled for dominance.

With immerse strength bear throws buck onto the forest floor, tossing magnolia flowers into the air. Creamy white petals fall erratically as claws make to slash against flesh but scrape frustratingly on bone-crusted hardness instead. The buck grunts heavily, using its back legs to kick the bear aside, standing up and shoving its yelping opponent away as it stumbled upright. In their tussle, Lien watches the nymph fall out of the branches unsteadily, slumping onto the ground with a pained wince. She does not get up, clutching her legs in pain as her hands tried unsuccessfully to lift her body off the soft cushion of flowers several times.

The beasts have broken apart, and Lien sees the buck backing up a few steps, blocking the fallen nymph from the bear's sight. There was a cut on its side, blood dripping from it to stain its pristine russet coat, and it was breathing heavily. On the other side of the clearing the bear shakes its shaggy coat, ridding itself of the previous ache from sharp jabs. It had taken no visible damage apart from minimal bruises, and cunning eyes flash with impending victory as it took in the tired form of the lone buck.

The bear roars, incensed and eager, taking a running start towards the lone magnolia. Quickly it was intercepted, and Lien finds herself gripping her bow tightly. It was an unconscious reaction; as her shaking hand reaches back to pull an arrow out of her quiver, but the movement makes Siew Bao dart to look at her inquisitively, his tail curling and uncurling impulsively.

She blinked in surprise, and watches with an almost hazy wonder as her once paralysed fingers twitch with tense aching. Every bone in her body pulsed with the need to move. It was a flight or fight situation, and if she won't flee..

The buck would lose, that is for certain. The bear would overpower it and eventually it will die, along with the injured nymph. But maybe, just maybe, if she did this, that might change. She does not know what possesses her to want to do it. Humans owe no obligations to neither magical beings nor animals. Hunters especially, have lesser reasons to do so, and yet..

\- The buck falls with its back facing hers, and she spies a faint white marking behind its ear. -

And yet.

(A memory of crystal waters lapping against stone and a clearing filled with gentle violin. A handsome face and strange curl. Corn wheat and deep blue, a cool touch, gentle and soft, longing; so much longing-)

She has never hunted bear before, but there is always a first time for everything, no matter how foolish.

Sharp claws rake against flesh as Lien bursts out of the bushes, tugging arrow on bowstrings and aiming it at black fur. The arrow pulls free, piercing the air and striking the soft belly of the tussling bear, dead centre. The subsequent roar echoes through the clearing, full of agony and rage, causing all witnesses to cringe. With gritted teeth, hunter draws another arrow and shoots, footsteps coming to a standstill a safe distance away when the bear jerks in pain.

Clumsy paws slap the protruding sticks out of its fur, and with little effort the bear stands up again, focusing its killing intent on a new target. The arrow shafts have buried themselves deep into skin, drawing blood and causing pain and irritation that it cannot get rid of, and that further incenses it.

With a ferocious snarl it runs straight towards her and Lien scrambles to get as far away as she can, making a sharp turn as she reaches for another arrow. (The sharp swerve saves her precious moments. One nanosecond less and its claw would have struck her.) She can feel hot breath behind her as she runs, and adrenaline boosts her with faster reactions as she twists, firing the arrow and watching it make contact with the bear's snout.

She lands on the ground heavily, but with a practised barrel roll she rolls herself away from the vicinity of the writhing bear. The fall has caused her to drop arrows from her quiver, and she only has a second to pull the last remaining one out of the case before a meaty paw slams her violently to the ground.

She falls but just as quickly gets back up again (because she would be damned if a few bruises put her down), locking the final arrow into the bowstring and pulling it free as the bear looms right over her. With a quick swipe of its paw the arrow is deflected and the last thing Lien sees are sharp whites, and carnal black, deep dull black that caused her heart to skip a beat before pain envelopes her entire being.

Her agonised screams resound throughout the entire clearing.

A few paces off, a single deep ominous groan echoes from within the ground, and the nymph gasps with horror as the millennium old magnolia trunk starts to topple.

...

...

* * *

A/N

Remember how at the end of last chapter Lien wished she would feel numbness instead of pain? Well foreshadowing ended up becoming true. Be careful of what you wish for kids. Suffering is an inevitable theme in this story. I don't know why or how, but it just did, and I'm not sure how to feel about it. I guess it comes with the forbidden love/differing sides trope though.

In this chapter we finally have the official introduction of my favourite character, Bambi! /shot. He is essentially the catalyst for most of the major plot progressions (and matchmaking but shh). I have waited so long for the final scene and cliff-hanger to be uploaded for viewer's enjoyment. There is literally no rest for both Nor and Viet, especially Viet. If you believe it, the fighting and gore was actually easier to write than emotional turmoil scenes.

Azaleas are the Chinese symbol of womanhood and also other things. I find it sets the NorViet relationship in this AUverse rather well. You will see why soon enough. Also, the title word is Welsh, meaning a homesickness for a place that you can never return to, a place that can never was. grief, longing, nostalgia for the lost places of your past. Ah, suffering.

Listened to Disney's The Little Mermaid ost on repeat for writing this part. Did it influence any of the scenes I wonder?

Since this chapter took very long to get out, I hope I can get the next one out faster. Next chapter is also the finale, so even more reason for you to look forward to it right? Stay on the hype train guys, we are nearing the climax.

**Edited as of 20 July**

This might not be the last chapter of the story. If I manage to overshot the ending, the content will be split into 2 chapters. Good news, it means more for you to read. Bad news, waiting time and hype. Take note guys, thanks!

**As of 16 October**

Next chapter isn't the last chapter!


	5. Chapter 5

.

**V: Reunion**

...

...

There was pain bursting across her left arm and her right palm and her face and _oh gods _there was pain everywhere, burning her skin with white hot agony as she cried out and dropped her bow, stumbling back with a quivering frame as her unhurt hand and arm form an awkward cradle over her face. With a loud bellow the bear advances, one leg crushing the fallen bow as it stood over the unarmed hunter. The bear slaps its paw at her harshly, and Lien feels her body being tossed to the side, her quiver dropping and rolling away to a standstill as she is flung into the air. A second of free falling occurs, and Lien braces herself as her body crashes heavily onto the ground a few feet away.

Something within her creaks.

Magnolia flowers stir and float up into the air around her, but the hunter does not notice as she grips the side of her injured face with shuddering breaths. There is blood in her eye, dribbling down her face from a deep cut on the side of her forehead to stain her mussed hair and the ground, every blink sending waves of piercing hot sharpness across her nerves. Blood flows more quickly from her arm, running down in rivulets to stain her clothes and the forest floor. There were deep gashes on her right palm, four jagged slashes that ripped flesh apart from her knuckles to the wrist, exposing bone. The sting aches unbearably, and Lien feels tears mix with the blood covering her eye.

In the distance loud growling and fierce barking echo harshly, growing louder and more frenzied as Lien struggles to cap the rising blurriness from affecting her vision. Rolling her head painfully to the opposite side, she glimpses a black shadow cling and bite the back of the beast that had so carelessly thrown her aside.

With viciousness she has never seen before, her hound snaps at skin and digs his claws deeper into shaggy fur. Giving an enraged roar, the bear flails its large frame, trying in failure to shake the smaller animal off of it. Siew Bao only sinks his teeth and claws deeper into skin in answer, pulling off clumps of fur with the firmness of his grip. Blood stains his mouth, and the bear cries in agony, staggering up on its hind legs before throwing its back onto the wrecked forest floor, aiming to crush the smaller dog under its giant frame.

Siew Bao jumps away in time, yelping as he falls face first into a soft cushion of fallen flowers and grass. He bounces back easily enough, and leaps with jaws open for the neck of the fallen bear. Another tussle commences, and Lien blinks sluggishly as she wills her limbs to move. Her fingers twitched slightly, and with difficulty she wipes the blood away from her eye and cheeks as unstable legs force her to a kneeling position. The taxing movement disorients her and her locked knees buckle, sending another wave of pain and blood as she fell back to the ground.

Pained yelps and whines resound around the clearing, and Lien curses as she tries to make the bleeding on her face stop, removing a part of her torn clothing to tie as a bandage around her forehead with quivering hands.

A claw nicks the hound away, but his blows on the larger animal remain relentless as he continued to evade and attack various areas on the back of the bear. The latter snarls in both agony and irritation at the feeling of bleeding bite marks, strong jaws baring teeth as it tried lunging at the nimble creature, and thus does not notice the pair of blunt spears rapidly approaching it, jabbing themselves hard into its side. The tip of one antler digs deep into an open wound and the bear screams as blood resumes spurting from that injury.

A loud crash sounds within the glade as the bear falls to the ground, yowling in pain as the buck stamps its hooves onto its side. The sounds of snapping could be heard as the bear sinks claws into the thighs of the bucking deer, crying in agony. In the midst of the fight, Siew Bao darts between thrashing claws and bites down on one ear. With teeth sinking into flesh he rips the skin apart, and the ensuing howl courses horror and unease through the veins of every last nymph watching.

Half a glade away Lien forces herself upright again with shaky legs and ignores the rolling dizziness of her skull. Sharp aches zapped through her right calf muscles, numbing them as she stood up unsteadily. Slowly she limps towards the struggling bear, who had by this time started to slash at the surrounding air blindly, unaware of the approaching hunter. Hound attempts to claw at brown fur, but a narrow swipe makes him fall back, whining softly as he stands back awkwardly with trembling legs and a bloodied muzzle. One paw was balanced precariously on the ground awkwardly, and the sight spurts more determination into the hunter's beaten form as she trudges ever closer to the defensive beast.

Standing on its hind legs, the bear's eyes were wide with anger, pain and fear. With a snarl it gripped impending antlers with bloody paws. Claws dig into cold cartilage, and the bear lifts one hind leg to kick at the growling hound. Undeterred, the latter jumps and sinks his teeth into the thigh of its other leg, causing another painful yowl to escape from the shaggy creature.

The bear roars, bringing a paw down on Siew Bao. The impact sends the hound flying away, yelping in pain as he crashed onto the ground. He does not get up, and the bear snorts in victory before turning back to the recovering buck.

Shaking angrily, the bear shoves the buck back as it struggled to gain some form of leverage. Gripping the other's antlers tightly, the two kings pushed at each other, lurching around in a circle as they pitted their strength against one another. With a sudden heave, the two break away, the buck teetering unsteadily on its feet. Bear makes to slash at the tired buck, but a sharp bite on its arm forces it to look away, slanting body towards an angle for its chest to become the perfect target for the sharp end of a thrusting blade.

It takes only a moment. Black eyes widen in surprise as they met piercing gold, and with clenched teeth, Lien shoves the hunting sword deeper through the bear with bloody and sweaty hands. The glade turns abruptly silent, the only sound being that of blood dripping on the forest floor and heaving breaths. Metal reflections shine glaringly under the sun as Lien watches a haziness film over the bear's eyes. There is a peculiar look in them now, less menacing and more innocent; strangely child like.

The bear lets out a soft sound, a strangled breath that was a cross between a gasp and groan, and Lien watches, with tears trickling from her eyes (whether from pain or something else she doesn't want to know, doesn't want to think, cannot hope to think as numbness takes over her) as the giant's laboured breath crease. She lets go of her sword, and watches it fall together with the limp body to hit the ground with a soft thud.

Hunter gazes mutely at the corpse on the ground with trembling legs, stirring only when a soft whine greets her. Turning her head slowly, she watches her faithful hound limp over the fallen beast to reach her legs. Siew Bao sniffs at her bloodied right hand, before licking the tips of her blood covered fingers gently. They twitch in response, and with great difficulty Lien lifts her palm gingerly to rest it lightly against his head.

Movement stirs on her other side, and she looks up sluggishly to feel the buck's warm breath on her. Blood ran in light trails over its coat, the majority caused by shallow cuts. The deep gash was not bleeding as badly anymore, and Lien closes her eyes as she feels the buck sniff at her bleeding arm. A surprisingly soft muzzle touches the blood soaked fabric she had wrapped haphazardly around the side her head, and Lien flinches as a wave of light-headedness flooded her being, the pain from the wound on her forehead flaring immediately as her rooted legs trembled.

Opening her eyes blearily, she tries raising her arm, a whimper leaving her mouth as her limb spasms but refused to do anything else. Soft ambers blink at her, and Lien's dull eyes spark when the buck brings its nose under her unhurt wrist before lifting it up with its head gently. Her wrist hangs awkwardly over its nose, but she stretches her fingers until they brush against the side of its face. Eyes blink tiredly, and the buck lowers his head to let hunter's hand drop free.

Holding her stare with its own, the buck regarded her with a look she cannot discern, before closing his eyes, angling its head away as it walked to towards the forlorn magnolia. The nymph stands shakily when it approaches, anchoring legs over the buck as she pushes herself up its back, using what remained of the broken trunk as support. She glances once at the unmoving human before looking up at her fellow sisters silently. The buck starts to canter, and in seconds they disappear from view, having entered the safety of trees.

Alone in the clearing, the hunter's knees buckle, and Lien falls with both arms pressed cautiously on the ground. White hot pain engulfs her entire being, and Lien almost misses the distressed shout under Siew Bao's frantic whines and licks as someone else enters the glade. With heavy breaths Lien looks up slowly from the ground and turns towards the sound of the voice and foreign barks with unfocused eyes, seeing the familiar face of a hunter meet hers in dread.

...

...

...

Slipping pass flowered bushes, footsteps skim their way pass twisted roots of a thousand year oak, disappearing behind its trunk. Two pairs of padded footsteps hurry after her, flanking worn boots as they follow the familiar path northwards. The woods were loud today; full of songbird symphonies and various other mating calls as its inhabitants reveled and rejoice over the coming of what was truly spring.

The hunter tries to ignore the sounds of the forest as she walked, but ingrained teachings and routine still forces her to move with silent grace. Her mind and focus was far from the hunt today, but every (deliberate) crunch of leaves beneath her feet causes her to grimace, her head whipping back and forth to check for any potential game in the vicinity that could have heard her footsteps.

When Lien catches her hand moving to hover over a bow that wasn't there (again, done deliberately), she sighs in annoyance at herself, absentmindedly lifting that hand to press against her forehead. Her fingers touch uneven scabby skin, and with a small frown she traces the long line that marred the side of her forehead above her eye.

The last bandages that a kind hearted wife had dressed for her have long since been removed, but she would never forget the kindness and generosity the two had showered upon her during those first terrible days. The bear pelt left outside their house as she headed home can never amount to the gratitude she held, but Lien hopes it could be the start.

She had been gone for a fortnight, and the hut was musty upon her return. The day and the next was quickly spent cleaning and batting away dust. When Lien stumbles on the wooden case however, the job was quickly forgotten, and Siew Bao spent the better part of the day listening to nostalgic melodies.

Their wounds heal quickly, and life in the forest resumes normalcy soon enough. But while the hound's injuries fade swiftly, hers does not. The gashes on her limbs and face never leave, and every morning Lien wakes up to the sight of scars on her palm and the feeling of crusted skin down her arm. Her charge and brother would throw a fit if they could both see her now, and Lien's mouth twitches as her hand drops to brush her pants pocket.

Her mind whispers misgivings (_He might throw a fit if he sees you like this._)and just as quickly the amused look drops off her face.

Her abrupt leave from the lake many months ago has caused a rift that Lien isn't sure she knows how to bridge and isn't sure she can, not to mention the last time she has seen his face it had turned out for the worse, and now with added tensions the prospect of even looking him in the eye seems hard to swallow. Still, she would be lying to herself if she said that she did not want to see him again, did not want to hear the soft timbre of his voice and the distant familiar sound of violin, if she did not want to push through overhanging trees and bushes to catch a glimpse of crystal clear waters once more.

If only things were that easy.

She stops walking only once she finds a tiny glade concealed within unsuspecting bushes and close knitted trees where the terrain slopes and trees start to thin. The wind hums pleasantly in this part of the forest, and as she sits carefully on the dandelion sewn ground Siew Bao squeezes himself in through the thin bushes to join her, wagging his tail noticeably when she pulls out a slender object wrapped in soft leather from her pocket.

Lien scrutinises the bamboo flute with quiet contemplation before lifting it to her mouth, the first resulting note coming out mellow and sweet, resounding quietly through the glade as the breeze dies down to listen. There was no fix melody in her mind, and she closes her eyes as broken tunes and half-thought melodies come unbidden to her head. She plays them all, stringing the pieces together to form an ever-changing hymn.

Blinded, hypersensitivity heightens all senses; she can hear Siew Bao sniffing at dandelion stems and feel every sharp blade of grass poking at uncovered skin, almost taste wooden smoothness on her lips, but it is with her ears that she focuses the most, straining to catch every sound in the cool air.

The breeze carries her music upwind and Lien hopes, prays that somehow it can reach him, draw him to her just like he did to her during their first meeting, or at least let him know, know that she is here, and she has honoured her promise to try, because in the end she is the coward that always runs first, always shies away from anything different, the coward that was afraid of the aching feelings when she had discerned what they were and the coward that was still afraid of him looking at her now when there had been so much change, so much _ugliness _added.

(She does not flinch at the word, because those scars are a fact, and she never did regret doing what she did. She only wished that the outcome could have been different, perhaps if she had been more careful...)

Fae were superficial, and she has prepared for the worst. But that wouldn't mean that the sting would hurt any less. Regardless of anything, he is still a Nokken, otherworldly with subtle elegance, and she is only human, imperfection at its finest. She would not blame him if he shudders away from her physical appearance now, seeing nothing but the external differences that marred her body.

The tune ends, and Lien opens her eyes, catching her breath and blinking away moisture as light burns her eyes. Siew Bao woofs softly as he pats at a passing butterfly, and her mouth lifts, the tightness within her chest abbreviating for a moment. Licking her lips she closes her eyes to begin yet another song, and Siew Bao snaps his head to her as a familiar tune fills the small space within the grove of trees.

_Dolcissimo_ marks _Lacrimoso_, and Lien lets her focus go when her fingers start to move on their own, the notes taking on emotions that were beyond her doing. Her grip on awareness sways, and it is because of this that she nearly misses the voice of another melody joining hers. It was almost peculiar, how the music flowed and entwined so easily with hers, quiet and hesitant before swelling with strengthening assurance as the instrument sings with joy. She stumbles on a couple of notes before managing to pick herself up again, several notes leaving the flute in an airy waver before resuming a lighter harmony. Her heart races, but Lien can feel a smile struggling to break across her pursed lips.

She has done what she had set out to do, succeeded even, and that alone brings her peace.

Time passes in a blur as violin and flute played their makeshift symphonic duet, and the forest listens with bated breath as harmonies interlace and reach their climaxes before ending the song on an abrupt note. Irked, it huffs its impatience, and violin answers as chilly winds blew through lavish canopies and thick trunks fiercely. Flute joins strings in repeating the final chorus before echoing the ending notes, the violin slowing tempo and dropping to minor the mirror the main melody.

(One count, two half counts, another count and a drawn note, dissipating into air-)

Lien parts from bamboo regretfully as the woods sigh in contentment, lungs short on breath and the muscles of her diaphragm and stomach aching faintly. There was a lump stuck in her throat, and when she laughs her voice comes out distorted and garbled. A sound escapes her, a mix between a choked-up sob and satisfied grunt, and her free hand comes to fist the fabric of her shirt roughly, pressing fist against the flesh on the side of her waist while her wrist rested in an awkward bent on the grass.

One precious moment breezes by, then two. It wasn't enough to ground the hunter fully back under control, but it would have to do.

Standing up, Lien begins coaxing the sitting hound out of the glade. Her eyes were distracted, flickering uneasily between the trees lying further North and the path that led downhill towards home. Her lips pressed together thinly. Siew Bao whines, pawing at the ground as he points his nose towards the other side of the glade. Quickly he runs over, sniffing the hand that gripped the bamboo flute because gesturing towards that same direction.

Again Lien shakes her head, and with hurried motions she prodded and coaxed him until they were one step out of the glade in the direction of their home. Bushes rustle from the opposite direction, and Lien inhales sharply when she hears the sound of heavy breathing that wasn't her own. Siew Bao barks in elation, turning around and running to the intruder, and Lien feels the lump in her throat tightening as gradual silence fills the glade.

Her lips press tightly together, and hunter struggles to find the right words as puffs of air escape from her parted lips. She falls short each time as her mouth opens, and she finally sighs as her gaze roved over a blooming bud growing on the tip of the bush she had half a mind to sweep away so as to make her escape. "I didn't know you could leave the clearing."

(_That is a lie_, her mind whispers painfully. _He would have known_, and that was the truth.)

Lukas answers by murmuring her name like a sigh, and hunter stiffens further as the tips of her ears start to burn, inner voice fizzing away as her mind fumbled for stability. Feet step on soft grass, -gentle, cautious- , and Lien squeezes her eyes shut, blinking them open quickly as she calls for him to stop. He doesn't, and with a quickening heart, she clenches her fist, taking a heaving breath before whipping her head around, taking a step forward to stare defiantly at navy blues she didn't think she would ever see again.

She does not acknowledge the twinges of ache as he falters, taking in instead the relief that sweeps over her as he finally stops and takes her in with widened eyes. His gaze roamed across her frame, skimming up her face, taking in her pained eyes, her scars. She waits for the expected disgust and recoil to manifest, but only sorrow lights his eyes, and if it were possible Lien feels worse.

"The fairies told me, but I didn't think it would be, I couldn't..." There was anguish blazing in his voice and eyes and Lien cannot help but avert her eyes from his as embarrassment and shame clouds her mind, feeling lost and upset. Frustration gnaws at her; she wants him to turn away - disgust and contempt she can handle, but not this, not when he looks at her with fiery indigoes gleaming with an emotion so intense she can name but cannot bear to return.

"Lien, look at me."

He is walking towards her now, anger and determination burning, _burning and burning and lighting his core_ and all she can do is shake her head hastily, panic breaking free as her control cracks. The bamboo flute slips from her fingers and drops onto grass as hands rise to cover the side of her face. The loose sleeves of her garb fall, exposing arms, and the Nokken growls at the sight of more jagged scars.

"Lien-"

"Don't." She tries to back away, but there is nowhere else to go as her boots and clothed legs bump into the tips of outstretched twigs.

Her breath catches once he stops, their bodies so close yet barely touching. The silk of his robes touch her naked skin, and she trembles as the cool material slides against her elbow. Warm fingertips trace the length of a jagged scab along her arm, and Lien shakes her head silently, angling away from his touch. His hand trails up to hover above her palm hesitantly before enveloping with his own, and she resists for a little while before he pries it away from her face. Wary gold eyes met his and he chuckles weakly, blinking with undisguised sorrow at her nervousness as he murmurs.

"What have you done to yourself?" He whispers.

"Something I didn't regret."

"Because of me." His heart pangs when he sees her swallow, lowering her eyes from his. Her silence was all the answer he needed, and the pit in his stomach grew deeper as he took in the sight of her marred skin.

"It was still my choice." She replies half heartedly, but he wasn't listening anymore, fingers releasing their light grip from her wrist to move upwards. The hunter shrunk away from him as he approached, pressing lips together tightly as she tensed up. The back of his forefinger brushes the side of her cheek near her chin, and a soft, strangled gasp leaves her mouth at his touch. Lien squeezes her eyes shut in embarrassment before opening them again, irises flicking over to him jumpily as she watch him watched her.

"You really are like a doe." Lukas finally murmurs, lips twitching when Lien tilts her head back to look at him, the pad of his thumb and joints of his fingers now pressed firm against her skin.

"That again." -(_She does not notice his lips widen further when she unknowingly admits she remembers._) - "What does it even mean?" Her mouth parts, as though wanting to fill in the silence and put off the tensions and awkwardness that has consumed them both, but closes before doing a miniscule shake of her head, body easing stiffly as she tried to calm herself. "If I am a doe, what are you?"

"What do you think I am?"

"I don't know." Her fingers grasps the silk that covers the Nokken's forearm gingerly, tugging it in a downward motion. The latter resists, locking gazes with her as his thumb presses into the soft flesh of the corner of her lips before dragging the digit across her cheek tantalisingly slowly, all the while maintaining his softened gaze and inquisitive air. He couldn't have been more aware of what he was doing, no other intent in his eyes apart from curiosity, but Lien gives a minute jerk as her knees tremble, fingers fisting into the cloth of his robe violently as a shudder runs down her spine from the stroke. He did not need his violin to reduce her into her current state, and that thought scares her more than she would admit.

Her head spun with dizziness. Recollections blur past her mind hazily as she skims for memories of creatures she had hunted or spied before in the wood. Only one stands out from the many, and without thinking it through she mumbles the thought out loud, desperate to be free from his probing gaze and intoxicating effect.

"A stag?" Her answer comes out distracted and strained as the thought of a regal beast who stood proudly and unafraid streak past her mind. The glimpse of heavy antlers, a white mark, eyes with colour like hers, but darker, wiser, not an ordinary deer she could have killed the first time they met. It's association with the Nokken was less than plausible, and Lien has no inkling of why she drew that parallel, but still the notion persisted, and she sighs inwardly at the trail of thought. Thinking of the buck reminded her of the battle, and with it the bear and the-

Her fingers itched to touch her scars again.

The Nokken's starts at her response, pupils dilating as his breath caught in his throat. Hunter stares at him absently, notable confusion in her gestures as her head made a subtle tilt, angling higher to look at him. His little finger grazed the side of her neck. _Was_ _she even aware of what she was doing to him? _

"..What did you say?"

"You are like a stag? Wh-" This time her eyes widen as she repeats her words, and they both recoil as they break eye contact. Warmth floods his cheeks as Lukas turns his head to the side. It takes him far too long to realise that it was contentment spreading through him, pure bliss lighter than anything he had ever felt before. The hunter's head moves again; harsher and more insistent away from him, and Lukas steals another look at the flushed and utterly embarrassed human who was, and yet not completely, in his hold.

Her eyes were lowered away from him again. (Always lowering, always hiding. He resents it.) It felt wrong, to see her so distraught and lost even as his heart raced in elation. The tension was back, and with it other pressing matters he was ashamed he neglected in lieu of the temporary rush of joy he had experienced.

"Lukas," - _could she hear the thumping of his heart?_ \- "Forget what I said, it w-" Her words trail off the moment his hand roams higher up, brushing brown hair away to touch the scar that adorned her forehead with surprising gentleness. Her hands hover uncertainly as she tries to force her head away from him, but the Nokken would have none of that. Fingers grip her chin, and the hunter finds herself once again staring into endless pools of indigo as their owner cradles her face. Their bodies were almost touching, separated by only the intimate brushing of clothes, and the close proximity makes her hair stand.

"Are all humans that foolish and clueless in taking care of themselves or is it just you?" There was sadness in his teasing, but before Lien can retort he is leaning forward with aching in his eyes.

Their noses bump. "I'm sorry," he breathes, and dips his mouth onto hers.

...

...

...

Her breath hitches the moment they touch.

The soft, feather light pressure against her mouth was a foreign sensation; one that renders her frozen as she gazed wide eyed at the creature who returned her stare. The Nokken's lips were cool and almost icy-like against her feverish own as they glided over her mouth. There was a soft flush present on his cheeks, a hesitation in his actions as half lidded eyes watched her carefully. But when she does not resist, he pulls her closer slowly, fingers burying themselves beneath locks of umber shaded hair as he eradicates the last traces of space between their bodies, bumping the tips of their noses together as he exhaled deeply.

He tastes of rain, and as a thumb brushes against the scar across her face soothingly, rhythmically, darkened indigoes glitter with the same emotion that makes her heart beat faster. (_And return?_, questions a voice, and Lien feels her mouth twitch, the tenseness draining from her body as she gives in-)

Hands rest on soft cloth involuntarily, pushing harder against a firm chest as their uncertain joint grew more probing, mouths brushing and heads angling in curious, hazy discovery. It does not take long before the intoxicating pull of attraction becomes too much to endure, and the hunter's eyes slip shut as the kiss grew more fervent, desperation and months of pent-up yearning spilling over to overwhelm their senses. Closed lips press harder and with more insistence as the Nokken lifts her chin and tilts his head to take all she had laid bare, giving and taking until she is cold and he is heat, roving lips beginning to bruise and swell.

Her lungs fall short, and as her mouth parts minutely in a silent gasp for air, he lets out a stifled whine as the movement sends sparks coursing through his frame. They break away quietly, but when the Nokken immediately makes to lean forward again, his mouth bumps against rougher pads that was a far cry from the soft flesh he had been nursing before. Hazy eyes rove over the sight of fingers separating their panting mouths, before flicking up to catch equally flushed cheeks and muddled gold.

"I can't," the hunter wheezes breathlessly, puffs of air hitting her knuckles as she leaned her head onto the back of her palm clenched over his heart. "I can't Lukas, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

Her fingers curl around his mouth, the hand on his chest tightening their grip. With sudden force the hunter pushes him backwards, releasing her hold as the Nokken stumbles back. His grip loosens, and she twists her body away from him. A glimpse of hurt, a whispered murmur of names, his stillness as the shock reflects through his eyes.

(_Eyes break, bud shudders_.)

Lien turns tail and runs as her right foot hits the ground.

...

...

* * *

A/N.

... B)

I had half a mind to cut the kiss scene for the next chapter, but then I realise that wouldn't be very fair to you guys would it? Hahahaha. Surprise! I'm still alive! I really have no excuse for the short delay, except for the fact that writer's block has been taking its toll on me and I couldn't churn out anything at all during my holidays. I go back to school on Monday too ehhh..

Anyways, I didn't want to put the update off too long, so I guess I'm splitting the super long definitely-more-than-10k finale chapter into 2 parts. As of now, the other half is still being written, so it won't be up so soon. It's slowly getting there though.

So, they finally meet this chapter! (Only to separate again bUT shhhh.) This is why we can't have nice things -shot- There isn't really much else to talk about this time, since most of the notes will be saved for the last one. I had a lot of fun writing and visualising the battle scene though but awkward roundabout attempts at conversation not so much.

One thing I notice is I subject Lien more to physical suffering, while Lukas gets the mental and emotional side. One can argue who gets the bigger share of the latter though Eheh.

Reviews and favourites are much appreciated! Thank you.


	6. Chapter 6

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**VI: False ****Rhododendron**

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...

Bushes rustle and snap as she pushes her way out and darts into the space between two trunks. Lien can hear barking behind her, but she does not stop, feet climbing over the ridges and bumps of invisible ancient roots as she flees. The trees blur around her, familiar and not at the same time as she skids past a rocky outcrop and cuts back Northward, leading the chase away from home.

Footsteps echo after her, a cry begging her to stop, but the voice only serves to make her run faster, panic boosting her forward as she bounds over bushes and twisted roots, desperate to escape.

_The hunter being the hunted, how ironic._

Her lips ached, and as she ducks behind the cover of a gnarly trunk, fingers rise to touch the slightly tender flesh gingerly, wincing as forgotten heat rose to colour her ears. His touch, the sin of his lips on hers,.. she had forgotten, hadn't she? It was never supposed to turn out like this.

_What have I done?_

The crunching of grass draws closer, and Lien prays that the forest would shield her from searching eyes, faux rustling leading her pursuer towards another direction faraway. But as the seconds passed, the knowledge that her pleas had gone unanswered seem to become more and more certain. Sharp ears pick up soft pattering within the grove of trees, and lungs cease breath when the noises grow louder, an ever constant shuffling of leaf litter covering a soft murmur of quiet urging. Soft footsteps step over grass, snaking their way closer to her, and Lien has a sinking feeling that it was too late to run.

Against her want to stay hidden, she steals a peek from behind the tree. The glint of a cross and swaying of cloth captures her attention before being obstructed by a mass of black. As if on cue, a black hound lifts his nose from the ground, tail swaying slightly when beady eyes spots her. The hunter shakes her head subtly, her grip on rough bark growing tighter as the hound blinks at her, a whine leaving his mouth as paws fidgeted on soft soil.

Siew Bao flicks his head behind him once before pattering towards her, bark mellowing into a confused whine when he notices his master moving back. The noise captures the attention of the fae, and as inky blue eyes follows the direction of the noise, hunter finds the lump returning to her throat, composure breaking as she moves out of the shadow of the trunk.

"Lien," the Nokken steps forward, face twisting in dismay as she mirrors him backwards for every step he takes.

"Stay away from me." Her voice quakes as her back hits the uneven surface of another tree, hunter raising her hand to her neck in mortification at her constricted throat. A black blur bumps into her, head-butting her legs before she could move. Siew Bao nips at her calves in exasperation as he watches his master, but for once the hunter pushes away his prodding, refusing to match gazes with the Nokken. "This was a mistake."

"No." His reply comes back instantly, heatedly, as he treaded closer. "This is not."

"Yes," she breaths softly. "It is." _Please_. (_For our sakes_.)

The hound is too late to stop her a second time when she darts to the side and slips under the cover of an overhanging branch. The hunter gains precious seconds to press ahead before the branches and shrubs behind her shake and shudder violently under the limbs of her pursuers. Feet jump over a patch of wildflowers, and Lien finds herself running downhill again, legs struggling to not buckle under the stress and awkward angle of the slope.

An endless sea of identical trunks looms over her as she bounds forward, unaware of where she was going; only praying that her route will take her as far away from confrontation as possible. Small pebbles begin to litter her path, and with a grunt of exertion she twists her way up the slope, weaving clumsily around the small stones to avoid falling. She can hear pebbles dislodging behind her as she slides down a dirt slope onto coarse grass, the frustrated yelps of a hound scrabbling for balance on uneven stones ringing behind her.

The vegetation only grows denser as she stumbles away from the pebble sewn ground, but the hunter regains her balance easily enough, panting lightly as she twists and ducks away from outstretched branches and obstructing shrubs. Fallen leaves and stray petals rustle where she brushes passed, sharp eyes spying an inconspicuous hole sandwiched between a forged arch of lanky trees and vines; a hidden opening leading deeper into the tangled foliage. It might have been made by a wolf or a large burrowing animal a long time ago, though nothing had disturbed the opening for a long time; aside from the vaguely indistinct shape only the most observant can spot, the hole was just another undistinguished part of the woods.

In the end, it is a split second decision that makes her turn back, reversing directions and leaving the path as she disappears behind broad trunks. Lien stoops down as she pushes past bark and vines, years of habit causing her to limit the noise she makes. The caution and sleekness in which she moved forces her to slow down however, and the hunter has to mentally refrain herself from turning back to check for chasing shadows. She can hear nothing, and that is perhaps what unnerves her most, or maybe that was just the racing of her pulse, drowning out any other sound apart from her heartbeat.

Unseen edges cut where her hands grip foliage, and hunter winces when ripped lines form and beads of blood rise to dot her skin, measured steps becoming frazzled as she desperately tried to hold on the few remaining strands of collectedness. The last length of the dense thicket is traversed quickly, and when hunter finally bursts out of the cluttered space her eyes reflect a brief flash of relief. Lien takes in her current location with wearied pants, the light in her eyes dying away as the scent of daisies and wild heather waft up her nose.

The soft rippling of water catches her attention, and the hunter feels her throat clamp up as she takes tentative steps closer to its source, eyes catching the glint of reflection upon water. Across from her, the surface of the lake shone blindingly under the mild sun, every little detail and feature looking unchanged since the first day she had caught a glimpse of it.

Panic seizes her instantly, and Lien finds her palms clammy and knees weak as she teetered by her spot. Sometime during the chase, she must have doubled back somehow and entered the clearing from a difference entrance. To unwittingly land right in the home of the one person she was running from; the day has been full of irony from start to finish, but she was tired (oh so tired), and all she wanted was to stop.

The sudden snapping of grass startles the hunter out of her stupor, and adrenaline kicks her back into movement as she rounds the curve of the lake. Tired legs push her onward, a precious second wasted on faltering as her mind clears of all distraction. Following the bend of the lake, familiar landmarks soon fill her vision, and her pace speeds up as she nears the place where the Nokken had held her down on the ground the first time he brought her back.

"Lien!" Since when had the sound of her name become so gut wrenching and painful to hear?

"Stay away!" The retort had to be mustered from heaving lungs, breath running short as fatigue finally catches up to her. Stamina wavering, Lien briefly wondered why she had the worse of luck. Her throat was dry and her chest tight, but she could see the edge of the thicket now, just out of reach. Just a little more; if she could make it, it would be a straight maneuver into familiar territory, and the chances of her shaking the Nokken off before returning to the safety of her home would be more than likely to succeed.

"No more," The harsh whisper behind her spikes goosebumps to her skin (too close, far too clo-!) and before she knows it something hard slams into her body. Her vision distorts as her sight of the nearing thicket slants over, unknown palms fumbling for purchase on her arms as her legs buckle and bodies topple to the ground. Soft grass cushions her fall, but the hunter finds the breath knocked out of her as she blinked open her eyes blurrily. Her hair was sprawled messily on grass, reflex curling her fingers inward as her lifted knuckles brushed against a set of clothed shoulders.

"I have had enough of you running away from me." The Nokken mutters breathlessly above her, eyes glinting with determined fervour. His breath was steady, but this close there was no mistaking the rapid rise and fall of his back, not unlike hers as she struggled to regain breath. Through the muddled buzzing in her ears she manages to narrow her eyes at him, but his knees crush the grass beside her waist before she could move, caging her in.

"Why are you so afraid of this? Of us?" Indigo orbs implore her almost pleadingly, watching her avert her head with stubborn refusal. He would be a fool to think that she wouldn't know; the obvious answer plain for all to see. But that was not what he wanted. There was something else, something the hunter strove to hid that he wants very much to pry open. He suspects he knows already, having noticed the miniscule emotions running across her face before claiming her lips. Still, he needed her to say it.

Golden eyes gleam angrily and the Nokken finds his own narrowing in similar frustration. His hands palm the grass above her shoulders, arms propping him higher until his head hovered over hers. Lukas can see the tenseness overcome her, feel the air shifting around them as her body strains away, pressing harder into the ground in hopes that it just might open up and swallow her. Her hands trembled, still curled awkwardly in the air but as he shifts closer they fall to cover the sides of her chest protectively.

"Lien, talk to me." He could hear her pants, feel the uneven rise and fall of cloths that brushed beneath him. The heated look in her eyes had receded, replaced by a nervous flicker as she swallowed heavily. The act does not go unnoticed, and Lukas can't help it when he traces her moving neck with his eyes. They were so close, too close, scarcely touching at all, but if any of them were to make any sudden movement..

One hand moves towards her head in an involuntarily motion, the backs of his fingers barely brushing her cheek tenderly before they both realise what is happening. The next moments are a blur to him (a forceful push, a sharp inhale as air is cut off- ) that by the time he gets his bearings right he is sprawling on his back while she is above him, knees and hands scrambling to lock and maintain her presiding grip as her gaze reflected lividness enough to burn.

The soft clink of an object could be heard hitting grass, but the hunter does not avert her head, keeping her gaze levelled on the Nokken as she growled softly. "Don't touch me." The brief exertion of strength had tire her again, for moments after her warning she had to pause to breathe in deep pants, swallowing painfully as her fingers dig into blades of grass, her limbs threatening to give out under her.

Something winks within the edges of her sight, and Lien momentarily registers the indistinct shape of a cross before the movement of tousled locks returns her gaze. The depths of indigo reflect surprise; pupils dilated, blonde strands falling in unruly fashion with a clip gone to frame his face. Lukas' mouth had parted minutely in shock, but the soft look in his eyes remained, and Lien cannot help the bout of frustration that sweeps through her even as her heart begin to ache.

"Stop it.." The words forced themselves out from her throat. "Don't look at me like that." Her hands quiver as she stared resolutely at the collar of his tunic, blinking back bitter tears. "Don't look at me as though, a-as though you have fe-!" Lien stops abruptly, pressing her lips tighter together as her shaking fingers dug deeper into green stalks. Even so, her pride kept her in check, so as Lien pushes away her conflicted feelings and lets the anger wash over her, her lips twist back into a sneer she did not mean.

"I shouldn't trust you." Her breath came in shuddering heaves. "For all I know, you could be _him_, trying to play me for a fool again." Eyes glint with forced hatred and flicker with desperation as she finally lock eyes with him. "That right, isn't it? You are not him. This, this is all a trick. He will never come here, not after, not after.." - A noise of despair leaves her lips as her body shook. - "after I pushed him away."

_Idiot, why are you still deluding yourself?_

She is scarcely aware of Lukas shaking his head beneath her, gaze sorrowful as he parted his lips, fumbling for words that would not come. "That's not true," he presses on, fingers twitching as he fought the urge to move, to touch, to gather her into his arms and just _hold_\- "Lien-"

"Stop interrupting me!"

It had been an almost yell, and the suddenness was enough to shut the Nokken up as he stared at her in stunned silence. The reaction was instantaneous, and Lien relishes in both the wave of victory and embarrassment that froths over her when clarity returns to her muddled senses. But it takes a few moments too long before the false hardness returns to gloss over the splintering emotions she tried well to hide. She had not been expecting her retort to work, but now that it did, she finds herself at a loss of words.

"I," she plows on anyway, for she is stubborn and prideful and if she cannot run she might as well confront because she was tired of hurting, tired of running, -but it so hard, so hard for her to stop and let him catch her, to end this endless cycle of running. "I hate it." Lukas turns rigid beneath her, his breath stilling, and she almost falters, dreading to look at the expression on his face. "I hate that I miss you. I hate that I trust you, I hate that I can forgive you!" Her voice rises with every breath, before ebbing over suddenly in one tired heave of her lungs.

"I hate," she begins with a quiet murmur of defeat, "that I can't hate you." Her grip on grass loosens. "Why?" Her head droops forward, strands of dishevelled russet brushing the Nokken's cheeks as her eyes finally level with his. "Why couldn't you have killed me instead of making me hurt?"

"Why did I have to fall in love with you?"

The choked whisper tears into the air, and Lukas swears he has never heard a more painful sound. The clearing becomes abruptly silent; in the moments that follow only the soft lapping of water on the lake can be heard. The hunter was not speaking anymore, her face downcast and eyes glazed over at some unseen spot behind him. The sting of her words still hurt; the revelation burning his throat dry. The words he had longed to hear had been spoken, but at what cost? He had never wanted this ache. (And yet...)

"I don't deserve you." In the stillness the hushed lilt of his voice could be heard wavering ever so slightly. A tear lands onto his cheek, and Lukas resists the urge to shudder at the sight of wet streaks beneath brown strands. "I have always been hurting you, ever since I made you stay." A quiet inhale, and the hunter jerks her head slightly at the barest edge of hardness in his voice, breath hitching as her hands quiver.

"But I'm a selfish creature Lien. All this time, I was so alone and, and when you found me,-" Indigo eyes brimming with so much sincerity and yearning as they reflect her gaze that Lien cannot help but laugh; a strangled sob that leaves her arms and knees shaking uncontrollably. "I had to make you come back." Vulnerability echoes with every breath of his voice, anguish lighting his face at the sight of every heaving breath she took. His fingers twitch, and he had to catch himself before he could move them to steady her arms. "I couldn't, I couldn't let you go."

"You stayed, and I was happy. The more I saw you, the more I started to feel things. Whenever you smiled, whenever you hid your laugh," He ducks his head, looking almost bashful even as he gave a wan chuckle, his entire being desolated. "I wanted more of it; to see you smile, to be the reason you did. I wanted you to like me because you wanted to, and not because I forced you to stay.

"I don't know what I did wrong. Maybe I was too forceful or I did something to upset you, but you left on that autumn day. You left, and I have never felt more _alone _my entire life." More tears drip onto his cheeks, and Lukas finds confining to the hunter's previous request harder and harder to comply with. His own body trembled with barely restraint strength, the urge to defy getting stronger with every gesture of suffering from the woman above him.

"I missed you." _Please, just this once. I need to, I have to. Let me tou-_

A warm forehead bumps against his gently, and Lukas finds his breath stolen as Lien slumps forward slightly, eyes closed and breaths ragged. Her arms were bent crookedly in an awkward angle, knees leaning forward precariously. Exhaustion lining her features as she sighs, and when he finally curls his fingers over her elbows tentatively to steady her from her teetering position, she does not resist.

"Don't say that." Her murmur was almost inaudible. Their noses brush; the tips of them tinged from the cold air, and Lien flinches from the contact; yet she does not move far; head drooping forward with half lidded eyes. "Don't say that." She repeats with more bite, blinking tiredly as she shakes her head.

"Lien.." Her name melts off his tongue like soft snow; soft, gentle. He feels her stiffen, watches the minuscule changes of her facial features as force of habit makes her clamp up. He knows full well the emotions he could evoke from her with just that one utter of her name, and though he resists, sometimes the guilt that laps at him at every purposeful call is not enough to coax him to stop.

"This is wrong." He can feel Lien shaking her head again, the locks of her soft hair swaying against his cheek rhythmically as her body returns to slack. There was frustration in her voice, but also a tired, measured acceptance, as though she knew there was never a choice for denial to begin with. "We shouldn't."

"I know." _I knew a lot time ago. You knew too, didn't you? _ "Even so, I am enamoured with you." Lien raises her head to look at him, tear streaks glistening under red rimmed eyes and mouth curled in a trembling frown, and he smiles; the barest curve of his lips as he gazes into golden shades of eyes. Even now, she looked like the most beautiful being he had ever seen.

"I love you."

The intensity of affection in his eyes (_only to her_, and her heart catches) is the last thing she notices before the last of her strength wanes and her hands give out beneath her, her whole body collapsing in an undignified heap onto him. Lien freezes the moment she collides face-first into his chest, hands half clutching his shoulders and half pressing against the ground. Her legs sprawled over his in a messy tangle as her stomach laid uncomfortably over his hip. Every little movement becomes magnified; the rise and fall of his chest, the sporadic shifting of their legs, the stiffness of his shoulders as his body reacts to her sudden proximity. In this awkward tangle of bodies she finds herself unable to move, only able to lift her throbbing nose slowly before facing the Nokken as heat singes the tips of her ears.

Lukas looks at her with equal surprise, and both regard each other with flustered, awkward looks. Lien swallows heavily, pressing her lips tightly together. She vaguely thinks she ought to say something to dissolve the rising silence, but a soft hum draws her out of her turmoil before she could.

"...You are going to hurt your lip if you are not careful."

An embarrassed noise leaves her mouth, and Lien almost tries scrabbling back up to her knees in a panic, stopping only at the touch of cool fingers brushing against her cheek as her breath comes in stuttered gasps. A thumb wipes at a tear track, and the motion causes more tears to spill from her eyelids. Alarm grazes the Nokken's features once more, but she is already shaking her head before he can apologise. "This is not your fault. I just- can't seem to stop." The tears blur her vision, but through her unfocused sight she sees his gaze turns firm.

"May I?" His query was soft, spoken lowly. She does not know what he means, but when his fingers reach to brush away her tears she sighs, lowering her head gingerly and leaning into his palms. His finger pads were cool on her skin, gentle when they swiped and rubbed away the moisture on her face. The Nokken shifts beneath her,-a subtle movement- and her hand moves to clutch his clothes instinctively as her hips threaten to slide down his frame and hit the ground. (He smells like cool air after rain.) She feels him trace the lines of her scars before his fingers leave, and with a wary blink she opens her eyes (_since_ _when had she closed them?_). Lukas is staring at her now, and the look on his face makes her breath catch and heart fumble for words she had suppressed down for so long.

"I'm squashing you." The words that come to her in that moment were not the ones she wanted, but the amused expression that rolls across his face makes her ache all the same.

"I don't mind."His right hand grasps her arm the same time he lifts his right knee. (She fists the silk in her hands tighter, swallowing a yelp.) With a firm push he twists her body over to rest on her side, following suit until they were lying face to face on the soft grass, legs in a loose tangle. The smirk had widened on his face, and he laughs softly as he pulls her closer until their foreheads were almost touching.

"I love you." The suppressed words leave her mouth instinctively in an abrupt rush of breath, and with mortification blooming in her veins the hunter slaps a hand over her mouth, riding out the new wave of pink that colours her cheeks. She almost takes them back in horror until she sees the gleam in his eyes, the emotion of her heart reflected as he leans down to press his lips over the palm that covers her mouth.

"But I'm afraid." How could she word it right, to make him understand? "I don't want to run anymore." _I'm a coward._ "But I don't know how to stop." The more she speaks the more the hunter jumbles up her words, the syllables caught in her throat as she talks, hurried and constrained. In the end she cuts herself off, face downcast as she distanced herself from her palm, mouth twisted into a doleful frown. "I don't think I can take anymore of this _ache_."

The subtle pressure against her knuckles leave, and Lien looks up to find Lukas looking at her with a peculiarly sad look. The smile had long faded from his lips."I can't promise that I won't hurt you again."

"I don't expect you to." Despite herself, her mouth twists into a mocking imitation of a dim smile. "Besides, it's a little too late to be saying that don't you think?" Her grip on his robes stiffen unconsciously as the brief memory of gleaming amethysts flits across her mind. Shakily she exhales before loosening her hold, bringing her hand back towards her. "I'm sorry."

His mouth twitches at what little snark was present in her voice, but the Nokken does not answer readily, instead catching her hand before she could fold it across her form. He presses it back against his chest, and Lien tries to ignore the rhythmic beats of his heart she feels beneath cloth and flesh.

He is so human she forgets sometimes. (The implications almost makes her want to pull away again, to reconsider everything. But she has already dawdled for long enough, and her choice was already made a long time ago. She will not run.)

For a long while, they both stare thoughtfully at their linked hands. The breeze flutters grass, and the clearing waits patiently for the wordless silence to break.

"You trust me." There was an unspoken query in his voice, deliberately slow as though pondering the right words to say. And even though she knows there was no need to answer, her mouth parts instinctively.

"Yes." She had not meant for her voice to manifest as a whisper, but the sudden spike in tension as he turns to her, eyes half lidded and gaze almost expectant, leaves her breathless. (The thumping of his heart is getting louder, stronger, faster-)

She think she hears him speak again as he leans in closer, something about trust and promises, but there is a buzzing in her ears now, swallowing all noises but the sounds of her breath and the beating of her heart. The sensation was vaguely soothing above the semi-awareness of her antsy heart. Lukas stops halfway with his descent, lingering with bated breath, and at that moment the strangest thought flickers to life within her head. It was atypical, it was uncharacteristic, it was so unlike her she could not fathom how it came to be. (Locks of unruly light blonde framing his face, cheeks dusting with the faintest hint of pink, she can feel her heart throbbing painfully-)

And yet.

She gives into those feelings.

It had been an easy motion as she tilted her head up, grazing her lips with the fae above her without strain, feeling him inhale sharply as she watched his pupils dilate. There was a split second of undignified flailing on his part; eyes wide and unheld hand twitching as spoken words splutter and died on his lips, and she feels her lips curve into the beginnings of a smile as she stretches higher, the press of her lips more definite against his as she closed her eyes. It takes him a moment, but then she feels him reciprocate in kind, lips curling in relief as his head led hers lower to lessen the arch of her neck, closing the gap between them.

Their heads settle together, and she lets her wrist rest in the crook of his arm when he brings it over to her neck, threading his hand through the fallen strands of messy sienna and russet before resting the knuckles of his fingers on the back of her neck. The grip of their connected hands tighten, and when she pulls back after a short while to breathe he turns to nuzzling the corner of her mouth and her chin, no doubt mindful of the first time yet unwilling to let go. His breaths were warm, and they sent shivers through her jaw.

When she makes one final puff and moves away however, he blinks open dazed indigoes, watching confusingly as she detaches herself from him and sits up unsteadily. There was red on her cheeks and on the tips of her ears, but the hunter stares resolutely in front of her, lips fumbling slightly as she whistles softly and lifts her hand in an outstretched manner. Near the edge of the clearing a pair of ears prick, lithe paws stepping over pale heather carefully as the hound pads his way over to her eagerly. A cool snout presses against her outstretched fingers, and Lien smiles wider when Siew Bao deposits the wooden flute into her lap carefully. He woofs softly as he burrows into her hold, tail wagging as Lien mumbles apologies and words of gratitude while scratching his head, soaking in the attention.

Black eyes zero in on watchful indigoes, and the canine holds his stare as Lukas sits up slowly, blinking once before cocking his head. When Lien releases her hold Siew Bao walks forward closer to him, grunting softly as he sniffs. Glancing sideways at her, the Nokken lifts a hand tentatively and watches as the hound moves closer. Siew Bao sniffs again, gazing at the fae for a long while before finally breaking his stare, lowering his head to tap his muzzle lightly on the Nokken's fingers.

Lien laughs inwardly when she sees the tiny look of rejection on Lukas' face as he watches Siew Bao bound back to the edge of the clearing from the corner of her eye. But surprise lights her features even more when she sees the latter come back, holding the stable neck of a violin uncomfortably in his mouth. Siew Bao places the violin gingerly at the foot of the Nokken's hand, before going to back to retrieve its bow. This he passes to her instead before brushing against her arm and trotting off to a pile of soft grass a distance away to curl up and rest on.

Running her fingers down the stick of the bow absentmindedly (same name, yet different from her own), Lien traces the polished wood with her eyes before turning back to hand it over to Lukas. She cannot keep the amused hum from surfacing when she does, but a sudden tug at the opposite end of the bow jerks her forward until she is half sprawled into his lap, and he is kissing her again, bumping her nose teasingly before tilting his head to kiss her properly, the odd floating curl of hair swaying close enough to brush her cheeks rhythmically.

His hand cups the side her face, lips lingering over her lower lip before pulling back, an echoing hum of amusement rumbling from his throat, and Lien feels her face flush even harder as she averts her eyes. His hands brush against hers, but she does not pull away, even as their fingers begin to entwine.

...

...

...

.

...

They were two in the clearing, bodies leaning against one another in peaceful silence as the wind croons a soft reminiscent of their prior melody outside the thicket. Their instruments lie abandoned on soft grass and purple heather, but neither really pays any attention in their bubble of shared silence. The Nokken presses an azalea into the hunter's hair, and his eyes flare with giddy delight when she flushes, revelling in his high as she shifts her head so that it leans more fully into his chest.

He loves her, and that tender awareness makes him glow and his heart swell.

Grass rustle in the distance, and Lukas watches as Siew Bao chases drifting daisy florets to the lake's edge, weaving between patches of wild flowers. He loves this peace, and a selfish part of him wants them to stay like that forever. Not for the first time he resents the taboos keeping them apart. A human's lifespan is only a fraction of the faes'. Their kind were never meant to be together even if they could co-exist, but even if that was so, there would always be a few who would succumb to temptation, for wasn't that the way of things, the way of fate?

But just like how humans are forever bound to the spinning wheel, the fae are partially not. They have their ways, their magic infused with the forest and flowing deeply, raw and plentiful. Lukas knows that if he wanted to (and if she wanted it too), he could.

And that was enough.

"Lukas." He loves the shivers that run across his spine when she utters his namesake, and he presses the tip of his nose into her hair as he hums in response. He listens, with silent attentiveness as she relays concerns he had been pondering about, slight hesitation in her voice. When she finally stops, he kisses her, a soft brushing of lips and quickened breathing as his hand roves over the scar on her face tenderly, and tells her otherwise.

...

...

_~Fin~_

* * *

A/N

And that's a wrap. :) (Immortality for everyone because happy end bruh. Yes, even Siew Bao shhh.) Merry Christmas! After months I finally managed to crawl out of the coal pile that is my writer's block to gift (give, get it hahaha man I suck at punning orz) you guys this!

Azalea flowers form two subgenres of rhododendrons, which is a genus of 1,024 species of woody plants in the Ericaceae family but let's stop here and not get into the biology. Thing is, they are distinguished from the 'true' rhododendrons by having five antlers per flower, hence the roundabout way in titling the chapter "azaleas" lol.

The final chapter and the previous one has everything to do with azaleas. In flower language they mostly mean,' take care of yourself for me', temperance and fragile passion. But there are also less popular meanings attached to it that are usually associated with more popular romantic flowers like the rose. (Love, Romance and First Love.)

I love both characters so much in different ways, so naturally I thought of pairing them together. After finishing the entirety of this project, my feelings for these two have developed from kindred spirits to soulmates with mutual understanding to becoming the OTP. (Ultimate rarepair otp look at my choices -cries-) It's safe to say that this is not the end of this series and the ship yet! In the near future I plan to make a prequel-sequel concerning the North Wind-Ivan about his past and why he is the way he is, and another separate NorViet story which will again be most likely multi chaptered because I can't control the amount of words I write worth anything.

The stag was probably my favourite edition to the story lol. He was initially not going to play a big role at all, but now he could be considered the hero of this story, like he played matchmaker, saved a damsel in distress and everything. He has come so far from just a lowly stag/buck :)

Some of my reviewers have asked if Norway could actually be the stag. He is represented by one, but could he transform into the white marking one that lured Lien into the clearing and fought off the bear? I say it's all up to your interpretation. There's a lot of vagueness in this kind of fantasy settings that I purposely left unanswered so you guys can decide for yourselves. That includes Ivan's past of course, until I actually sit down and do the typing for him lol.

Currently the longest thing I ever wrote, sitting at 31 166 words without any A/N. WHEW. Reviews and favourites would be appreciated. Thank you for following this to the end! I hoped you enjoyed this piece because I know I did.


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